Date: 2019-08-29

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ilorin Zonal Office ,has arrested three lawyers for allegedly using documents purportedly from the court to defraud a pastor, Adetunji Adedoyin, of property valued at about N20m.

The incident happened in Ilorin, Kwara State.

EFCC in a statement signed by Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, gave the names of the suspects as Salman Rafiu, Sulyman Abaya and Saka Hammed.

The statement said that two other suspects - Olarewaju Aluko and Na' Allah Suyuti - are still at large.

The statement said that the petitioner, Adedoyin, alleged that the suspects fraudulently obtained a court order through a false representation and sold the property without his consent.

Adedoyin alleged, "I was informed that I was served summons all through the court proceedings, whereas it was R.A. Salman who picked and arranged his colleagues, Abaya Sulyman and Saka Hammed, to stand for me and these lawyers forged my signature on some documents purporting that I consented in court to the sale of my hostel."

"The truth of the matter is, I never set my eyes on these people (lawyers) prior to or during the court proceedings; neither did I participate directly or indirectly in the proceedings.

"I also was not aware of the proceedings from the beginning to the end," he added.

Continuing, Adedoyin said, "Earlier in 2016, after seeking advice on what to do, I engaged a lawyer, Victor Okojie, in Ilorin to pursue justice for me because all attempts I made failed.

"Victor Okojie later linked me with the buyer, Mr. Na’Allah; and the buyer's lawyer, Ayodele Aluko Olarewaju.

"The buyer felt my pain and explained that he had expended about N12.5m on the acquisition of my property, but that he was willing to release it only if I refund the money he had paid."

The petitioner further explained that he was able to pay the sum of N4.2m to the buyer’s account in order to recover the stolen property, which they released for him as at that time. "The hostel was taken over again in March 2019 by the alleged buyer Mr. Na' Allah, through his lawyer, Aluko Olarewaju, on the ground that I had not paid the outstanding balance," Adedoyin explained further.

The suspects had denied all the allegations against them until the operatives of the EFCC confronted them with some forged documents which they claimed emanated from the petitioner.

EFCC said that it showed the principal suspect in the case, Barrister Salman Rafiu, an affidavit prepared by them and which was purportedly signed by the petitioner .

Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency said that Efforts is ongoing to arrest two other suspects indicted.