Pastor standing trial over N1.4m land fraud

The police arraigned one Pastor Emmanuel Okwedimbu on Tuesday before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State, for allegedly defrauding a woman to the tune of N1.4m under the pretext of selling a parcel of land to her.

The suspect was brought before Magistrate B.I. Bakare on three counts charge bothering on stealing.

The 52-year-old pastor and one other at large, had collected the amount from the complainant, Mrs. Teresa Nwabueze, an official of the Nigerian Maritime Authority, about 8 years ago.

Okwedimbu reportedly agreed to sell a plot of land situated at the Isheri Fagbile area of the state to Nwabueze, but failed.

Nwabueze was said to have written a petition to the police at the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, leading to Okwedimbu’s arrest.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Haruna Ibrahim, told the court that the offence contravened sections 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Ibrahim said, “That you Pastor Emmanuel Okwedimbu and one other at large, between the year 2009 and 2010 in Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, with the intent to defraud, did obtain from one Mrs. Teresa Nwabueze of Adeleke Adebayo Street, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos.

The prosecutor also said, “the sum of N1,400,000 under the false pretences of selling a plot of land situated at Isheri Fagbile area of Lagos to her – a representation you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”

The suspect, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, Bakare, granted the suspect bail in the sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000) with two sureties in like sum.

She, however, adjourned the case till August 29, 2017.