Justice Ismail Ijelu of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced one Abdulrahman Lawal Raji to 15 years imprisonment for defrauding a man of N26 million through a fake Toyota Hilux auction scheme.
The defendant was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The commission arraigned him on two counts amended charge on November 9, 2023, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges, prompting a full trial.
EFCC alleged that his offences borders on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Sections 8(a) and 1(3) of Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Handing him the verdict on Tuesday, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt.
During trial, Raji was prosecuted for alleged conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences to the sum of N26 million from complainant to purchase Toyota Hilux vehicle from custom office as auction vehicle, and he personally present himself as custom officer.
One of the counts reads: “Abdulrahman Lawal Raji and Abdulrahman Lawal (at large) between 20th March, 2023 and 21st March, 2023 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to obtain money by false pretence from Olaide Ibidapo.
Another count reads: “Abdulrahman Lawal Raji and Abdulrahman Lawal (at large) between 20th March, 2023 and 21 March, 2023 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained a gross sum of N26,000,000 from Olaide Ibidapo by falsely representing it was the purchase price for a Toyota Hilux 2022 car, which representation you knew to be false”.
During the trial, counsel to the prosecution, Ebuka Okongwu, called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits, which were admitted by the court, while the defence called two witness.
The convict was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment without option of fine on count one and five years imprisonment on count two without option of fine.
The sentence is to run concurrently.
The court ordered the restitution of the sum of N26,000,000 to the nominal complainant.
