EFCC Arraigns Oyo Permanent Secretary Over Land Scam

A Permanent Secretary in the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Rasaq Kolawale, said to have claimed and sold a dead woman’s land, has been arraigned by the Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Kolawale was arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Aderonke Aderemi of the Oyo State High Court on a one-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence.

He was alleged to have defrauded one Ibikunle Alonge of N4,400.000 (Four Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira), being part payment for a piece of land.

A statement issued by the EFCC on Wednesday, said the offence was against Section 1 (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

According to the statement, the victim of his alleged crime had written a petition to the EFCC in which he accused the permanent secretary of fraudulently collecting the sum from him as part payment for a piece of land situated at Alabata Olosoko area of Moniya, Ibadan.

The victim, the statement continued, further alleged that it was after making the payment that he got to know that the land actually belonged to one Mrs. Ali (now deceased )

He added that all efforts to get a refund thereafter were unsuccessful.

The anti-graft agency’s statement noted that one- count charge read: “That you, Alhaji Kolawole Rasaq on or about the 2nd of October, 2018, at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4,400,000 (Four Million and Four Hundred Thousand Naira only)  from one Alonge Ibikunle through Pastor Adeyemi Fabayo by falsely pretending that it was part payment of the cost price of eleven and half plots of land situated, lying and being at Alabata Olokoso area, via Moniya area, Ibadan which you purported to have sold to him.”

Kolawole, the statement added, pleaded not-guilty to the charge.

“In view of his plea, prosecuting counsel, Ben Ubi, prayed the court for a date for the commencement of trial,” the statement reads.

“Justice Aderemi admitted the defendant to bail on self- recognizance  and adjourned the matter  to June 24 and 25, 2020 for trial,” it concluded.