DETAILS OF THE LAND SCAM INVOLVING THE FORMER DEPUTY GOV OF LAGOS STATE AND THE SON

The Police Special Fraud Unit, SFU, in Lagos, has declared a former deputy governor of Lagos State (names withheld) wanted for allegedly jumping bail over a case of obtaining N130 million by false representation.

Commissioner of Police in-charge of the unit, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, who made the disclosure, yesterday, explained that the unit received a petition from the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of ‘D’ Department, where the petitioner with an undisclosed identity alleged that the former deputy governor and her US-based son (names withheld) sold a parcel of land at Plot 24, Block 4, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos to him for N130 million in September 2011.

The petitioner, according to him, claimed to have paid the money in tranches to the former deputy governor’s account, after which he reportedly requested for the title document, only to be given an affidavit of support. The document included a police crime extract and a publication in one of the national newspapers, all purporting loss of original documents of title to the land.

“The petitioner believed her because of her personality as a former deputy governor of Lagos State. But the bubble burst after the complainant commenced development on the land and was at the verge of completion when the bona fide owner of the land surfaced. It was discovered that the land the suspect sold did not belong to her. She actually sold Plot 23 Block 4 while Plot 24 Block 4 already has a property on it,” Ogunsakin said.

“Investigation revealed that the land she sold did not belong to her. It was also discovered that Plot 24 Block 4, which actually belonged to the suspect’s husband who died in 2008 was sold to him (the new owner) in 1995 and the suspect was a life witness and appended her signature to the sale of the land.

“The suspect further perpetrated the crime by alleging that the original Certificate of Ownership, Cof O, to the property was missing and swore to an affidavit which enabled her obtain a police report and memorandum of loss. She also put up an advert in newspapers that the original CofO was lost whereas the original CofO is with Hallmark Homes, the buyer of the property.

“The crime was admitted as a genuine mistake of plot identification. N50 million was refunded to the complainant with promises to refund the balance as soon as she disposed her two property she put up for sale. She also confessed that she had injected the complainant’s money into her business.

“The suspect also made an undertaking and payment plan which was drawn from September 2012 and was to terminate by November 2012, but defaulted due to lack of funds.”