EFCC Arraigns 56-Year-Old Car Dealer, One Other, For Property Fraud

Crime

EFCC Arraigns 56-Year-Old Car Dealer, One Other, For Property Fraud

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, arraigned a 56-year-old car dealer, Rasaq Abolaji-Mumini and one other for selling a forfeited property without due authorization and obtaining money under false pretense.

A statement by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said Mr Mumini and one Lawal Olawande Mariam were arraigned on two-count charges before Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

The defendants allegedly sold a property, which is under attachment by the EFCC without lawful authorization.

The said property, which is a four-bedroom apartment, is situated at Dubere in Ogbomosho, Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Rasaq Abolaji, Lawal Olawande Mariam and others still at large sometime in December 2022, at Ogbomosho, Oyo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without due authorization sold a Four Bedroom Apartment situate at Dubere Area of Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State to Mrs Felicia Adeyemi at the sum of N13,500,000.00 (Thirteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) a property that was subject of attachment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 32 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.”

Investigations revealed that the second defendant (Lawal Olawande Mariam), wife of the owner of the property, Adebayo Abiodun, was said to have been introduced to Mumini through a friend with the aim of helping her clean off the EFCC inscription on the property.

The commission marked the apartment after it discovered that the property was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

Further investigations also revealed that Mr Mumini obtained the sum of N3,050,000 from Mrs Mariam under a false pretence that the money was demanded by the operatives of the EFCC in order to clean the Commission’s inscription, “KEEP OFF EFCC UNDER INVESTIGATION”, on the four-bedroom apartment.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges thereby setting the stage for a trial.

Consequently, Justice Olawoyin ordered the remand of the defendants in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned till Monday, February 12, 2024, for hearing of their bail applications.