The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police today Tuesday Feb. 4th arrested former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, Sahara Reporters reports.
She will appear in court tomorrow in connection with fraudulently obtaining N130million from one Cajethan Okekearu.
Mrs. Ojikutu was declared wanted on June 19, 2013, but she went to court to halt police investigations, a suit that was thrown out by a judge a few weeks ago.
The SFU police spokesperson Ngozi Isintume-Agu said in a statement that Alhaja Ojikutu, 67, who was picked up at her Lagos Island residence, allegedly connived with one Samson Adebisi Ojikutu Jnr, her son, to commit the offence. Samson is currently in the United States.
According to the statement, the former deputy governor and her son “were parties to the sale of the land and both signed the agreement given to the Complainant and obtained the sum of N130 million from him.”
The police said the suspect admitted the crime but explained it as a genuine mistake of plot identification. She then refunded the sum of N50 million to the complainant and promised to refund the balance as soon as she had disposed of two other properties she had put up for sale.
The statement further said Mrs. Ojikutu has confessed that she injected the complainant’s money into her business.
“She equally made an undertaking and payment plan which was drawn from September, 2012 and was to terminate by November 2012, but she defaulted due to lack of fund.”
The police further said the deal unraveled when Okekearu, on the verge of completion of development of the land, was accosted by the bona fide owner of the property and it was established that the land that the suspect had sold actually belonged to one Mr. Afolabi.
“It was also discovered that the Plot 24 Block 4, which actually belonged to Late Samson Adebisi Ojikutu Snr, the suspect’s husband who died in 2008 was sold by him in 1995 and the suspect was a life witness and appended her signature to the sale of the land. A financial institution (name withheld) which was in possession of the CofO after payment was fully made also tendered the original CofO which the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State had earlier declared missing and even sworn an affidavit to.”
The statement recalled that Alhaja Ojikutu had sued the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, SFU, and the complainants, asking the court to restrain the police from further investigations and violations of her fundamental rights.
“The ruling by Justice Obadina (Mrs) on 17th December 2013, dismissed the Suit for lack of merit, that the Nigeria Police has the power to prosecute the Applicants, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu and her son, Sampson Adebisi Ojikutu (Jnr) since the Police investigation revealed that there is prima-facie case of obtaining by false pretences against them and added that the court will not interfere or restrain the Police in carrying out their statutory function,” the statement said.
The former deputy governor will be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday morning.
Culled Sahara Reporters
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