Pastor arraigned for N12m fraud allegation

A landlord in Lagos, Jamiu Shola Kolawole, described as a pastor, has been standing trial before an Isolo magistrate’s court for allegedly using his twostorey building to defraud a Lagos-based businessman, Dr Emeka Ugwunze.

Kolawole had allegedly told the businessman, who was described as his tenant, that he intended to sell off his house to defray some financial pressure on him.

The 59-year-old suspect was also alleged to have cajoled Ugwunze into buying the property located at 2 Gbagada road, Phase 2 extension, in the Gbagada area of Lagos for N12 million.

Eko Trust gathered that the landlord had convinced the victim to buy the property, saying he was offering him the house for sale as he was his tenant and was, to him, had the best opportunity to buy it and that it was only when his tenants refused to show interest that he would consider selling it to outsiders.

The police said Ugwunze agreed to buy the property, and based on the agreement, he made an advance payment of N9m to the suspect.

But the police said the landlord went into hiding after money had exchanged hands and Ugwunze subsequently reported the matter to the police at the Gbagada police station when all efforts he made to collect the documents of property or collect his money back failed.

As the police investigated the allegation against Kolawole, they discovered he had another criminal case pending at two separate magistrate courts in Lagos.

Following the discovery, the police took the case they were investigating before the Isolo chief magistrate’s court, Lagos, presided by the Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Adedayo. He was granted bail but was remanded in prison custody until he perfected his bail condition and was released from prison.

While the substantive fraud case against Kolawole continues, the court has ordered him to refund the sum of N12m to Ugwunze, including N3m damages. But the court subtracted from the amount N2.1m the medical doctor was supposed to pay him as rent, which reduced payment the landlord would be rendering to his tenant to about N10m.

In the suit number LD/1479/2011, the court ruled that the defendant was entitled to general damages ‘for the unjustified withholding of the claimant’s money since 2011.”

The court also ruled that the damages were due for payment immediately and would attract statutory postjudgment interest if there was any default in payment.

Meanwhile, the two criminal cases against Kolawole at the Igbosere and Isolo magistrate’s courts were at an advanced state and judgments will soon be delivered, as our correspondent learnt.

At the Igbosere magistrate’s court, the accused was alleged to have been involved in forgery, to which he had pleaded not guilty, while at the Isolo court, he is facing another fraud case under the Criminal Code.