A 50-year-old man, Tunde Alabi, on Wednesday appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over alleged N8.5 million land fraud.
Alabi of no fixed address, is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining under false pretences, entry by violence and stealing.
He however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, SP Idowu Osungbure, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in 2020, at Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos.
Osungbure said the complainant, Mr Nnona Ejiofor, bought two plots of land valued at N8.5 million located at Ibeju-Lekki from the defendant who claimed it was a family land.
She said that the defendant issued a receipt of the sale to Ejiofor and he started constructing a building on the land.
The prosecutor stated that the defendant unlawfully entered the land and destroyed building materials worth N5 million belonging to the complainant.
Osungbure said that it was later discovered that the defendant was not the real owner of the land.
The offences contravened sections 411, 314 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (revised) and Section 3 of the Properties Protection Law of Lagos State, 2016.
Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun Adeola admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adeola held that the sureties must submit copies of their National Identification Number (NIN), six months bank statements and Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) card.
She further directed that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, be gainfully employed with an affidavit of means and evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
Adeola adjourned the case until Aug. 3 for mention.