On 2nd October 2024, Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja sentenced Abodurin Gerald Abozo to eight years in prison for defrauding a buyer of N62 million in a land deal scam.
Abozo, who had been arraigned on 15th October 2023, faced a two-count charge for obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.
The case centred around a fraudulent transaction in 2013, where Abozo, trading under the name S.G.B. & As Property Lines Company, falsely claimed to have two plots of land for sale in Chevy Estate Ojomu Chieftaincy Family land, Lagos. Engineer Samuel Segher paid N62 million for the land, but Abozo neither delivered the plots nor refunded the money.
The first charge stated that Abozo knowingly made false representations with the intent to defraud Segher, while the second charge accused him of dishonestly converting the N62 million for his use. Both charges contravened the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by M.S. Owede, presented two witnesses and multiple pieces of evidence, including Abozo’s extra-judicial statement, all of which were admitted by the court. Despite pleading not guilty, Abozo was convicted on both counts.
Justice Ijelu sentenced Abozo to seven years for the first count and an additional year for the second count, to be served consecutively. No option for a fine was provided. Furthermore, Abozo was ordered to make full restitution of the N62 million to his victim.
Abozo’s conviction marks the end of a fraudulent scheme that saw an innocent buyer deceived in a land transaction, underscoring the legal system’s commitment to tackling financial crime in Nigeria.
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