Police arraign pastor for N1.4m land fraud

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

The 52-year-old pastor was brought before Magistrate B.I. Bakare on three counts bordering on stealing.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Okwedimbu, and one other at large, had collected the sum from the complainant, Mrs. Teresa Nwabueze, an official of the Nigerian Maritime Authority, about eight years ago.

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

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

A 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.

The charge read in part, “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 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 accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, Bakare, granted him bail in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till August 29, 2017.