Ondo court arraigns three over alleged N8.5m land fraud

By Boye Oyeyemi

Three men were on Friday arraigned before an Akure Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding a land buyer of N8.5 million through a fraudulent land transaction supported by forged government documents.

The defendants, Lawrence Oguntuwase, 56; Akinlami Roland, 60; and Olawale James, 62, are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.

The prosecutor, Folasade Adeyemi, told the court that the defendants allegedly conspired with others, still at large, on April 23, 2026, at the Bye-Pass area of Akure to obtain N8.5 million from one Rasaki Segun Habeeb under the guise of selling him a plot of land.

Adeyemi said the suspects allegedly forged the official seal of the Ondo State Surveyor-General to give the land documents the appearance of authenticity and deceive the buyer into believing the transaction was genuine.

She added that the alleged offences contravened Sections 516, 390(9) and 467(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006. The defendants, however, pleaded guilty to the charges.

Counsel to the defendants, O.I. Tiwo, appealed to the court to admit his clients to bail pending the determination of the case.

Ruling on the application, Chief Magistrate Oladayo Omotosho granted each defendant bail in the sum of N3 million with two sureties in like sum, but ordered that they be remanded in custody until the bail conditions are fulfilled.

The magistrate subsequently adjourned the case until July 28, 2026, for further hearing.