Ex-Ekiti Governorship Aspirant in Court Over Alleged Fraud

The politician is being accused of allegedly collecting the sum of five million naira (N5m) from the claimant, Chief Fagbooro as agreed on the sales of one acre of land situated along Iworoko road.

A former governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Otunba Yinka Akerele has been dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti over alleged fraud and breach of the agreement.

Akerele was dragged before the court by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Golden City Homes and Properties LTD, Chief Abiodun Fagboro

The former governorship aspirant, who is currently a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP had on several occasions aspired for the Ekiti State, number one seat on different political parties but is yet to secure any of the party’s ticket.

The politician is being accused of allegedly collecting the sum of five million naira (N5m) from the claimant, Chief Fagbooro as agreed on the sales of one acre of land situated along Iworoko road.

He was, however, alleged to have reneged in the agreement as he failed to hand over all necessary documents to the claimant four years after.

The claimant, Chief Abiodun Fagboro in a suit number HAD/15/2020 is seeking the court to mandate the defendant Otunba Akerele to honor the earlier agreement reached on the land.

A court paper obtained by our correspondent declared that six million naira (N6m) was agreed for the land at the point of agreement, wherein five million naira (N5m) has been paid.

That the court should compel the defendant to obtain the balance of one million naira and release all necessary documents to the six plots of land sold to the claimant.

According to the statement by the claimant, Chief Fagboro, his company Golden City Homes and Properties LTD registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act with RC No.1205637 located in Lagos State had sometimes in 2016 approached the defendant for six acres of land to be used by the company for cement business.

Chief Fagboro claimed that the defendant Otunba Akerele took him and other members of the company to his landed property along Iworoko road where he offered to sell a plot at one million naira and it was agreed that the money would be paid in tranches.

He, however, added that the sum of four million naira was paid to the defendant in January 29, 2016, through bank deposit while another five hundred naira was paid cash to him out of the balance of two million naira, when he claimed that he needed money urgently to pay some workers whom he said were working for him on ICT hall contract which he claimed he secured from the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

The said five hundred thousand naira was said to have been paid to the defendant by the claimant at the house of one of the defendant’s employee, Miss Moji at Ifako Road, Agege Lagos, Lagos State in the presence of Messrs Godson, Femi Fasan, Dele Dada and Adebayo Fagboro who is one of the Directors of the Claimant’s company.

Chief Fagboro explained that not too long after the payment the defendant again requested for another five hundred thousand naira out of the balance of one point five million naira (N1.5m) which he was said to have claimed was needed to complete the payment of the purchase of the landed property to enable him to collect necessary title documents from the family that sold the land to him.

He said that the money was raised and paid to the defendant at Lagos in the presence of Messrs Godson, Femi Fasan, Dele Dada and Fagboro Adebayo.

The claimant affirmed that during the last gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, the defendant demanded the payment of the balance of one million naira (N1m) of the purchase price which he said he needed to support his electioneering as governorship aspirant but the money could not be raised due to financial constraints being experienced at that time.

However, Chief Fagboro said shortly after, when the company was able to raise the one-million-naira balance, the defendant was contacted but surprisingly he told them that since the company was unable to pay the balance during his electioneering, he is no longer interested to sell the land to the claimant and if at all he would sell the land to the claimant, a plot would go for three million naira as against the initial agreement of one million naira.

He noted that all efforts to persuade Otunba Akerele to obtain the balance of the land proved abortive.

When contacted, Counsel to the claimant Dr. E.K Adetifa confirmed the claims of his client hoping that justice would prevail.

When contacted the defendant, Otunba Yinka Akerele declined to comment but confirmed that the court summons had been served on him.

Ayooluwa Joshua