The Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, Lagos has declared a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, 67, wanted for allegedly defrauding  her victim of  N130 million. She was said to have jumped bail and sneaked into the United States (U.S.) when she could not refund the said amount. Read more


According to police source, the unit acted upon a petition which alleged that  in September, 2011, Ojikutu, and her son, Samson, conspired and sold a parcel of land known as Plot 24, Block 4 situated at Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos for N130 million.
“To convince her client, Alhaja Ojikutu was alleged to have procured an affidavit of support to back her claim, a police crime extract and a publication in a newspaper edition of October 18, 2011 as evidence to show that she lost the original documents of title to the land.  The petitioner believed her because of her personality as the former deputy governor of Lagos State. Convinced, the petitioner paid the said amount into the Union Bank account of Alhaja Ojikutu.”
Trouble started when the buyer commenced development on the land and was on the verge of completion when the real owner of the land surfaced.  “It was discovered that the land Alhaja Ojikutu sold does not belong to her or her family anymore. According to investigation, the said land which originally belongs to her husband, the late Samson Adebisi Ojikutu, who died in 2008, was sold in 1995. Investigation also revealed that Alhaja Ojikutu was physically present as a witness and also appended her signature before the land was sold.
“Alhaja Ojikutu perpetrated the crime by alleging that the original Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to the property was missing and swore to an affidavit which enabled her to obtain a police report and a Memorandum of Loss.  She also allegedly put up an advert in newspapers that the original C of O was lost, whereas the original C of O was with the Hallmark Homes, the buyer of the property,” the source said.
Confirming the story, the Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, said that her son, Samson Adebisi Ojikutu Jnr, who is currently in USA, was also allegedly indicted in the fraudulent transaction. “Both were parties to the sale of the land and both signed the agreement given to the complainant and obtained N130 million from him. Shortly after her arrest, Alhaja Ojikutu  allegedly confessed that it was a genuine mistake of plot identification.  She refunded N50 million to the complainant and promised to refund the balance as soon as she disposed her two properties she put up for sale.  She also gave an undertaking and payment plan which was drawn from September, 2012 and was to terminate by November 2012, but was alleged to have defaulted.
“It appears that she is not willing to abide by the terms of repayment.  She allegedly jumped police bail and had been elusive.  Frantic efforts have been made to re-arrest her which proved abortive. Anybody with useful information regarding her where about should report to SFU located at 13 Milverton Road, Ikoyi.”
But responding to the allegation yesterday, counel to the Ojikutus claimed that their clients discovered late in the deal that the buyer had built on a wrong parcel of land. Nevertheless, the lawyers wrote: “Further to our clients’ discovery of the facts, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu volunteered to refund Mr. Cajetan Okekearu the  sum of N130,000.00 which agreement was evidenced in a “Terms of settlement dated 25th July, 2013 executed for our clients by Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu.”
“•The alleged Bond instrument upon which Mr. Cajetan Okekearu alleges that Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu and her husband sold or charged the said land in favour of one Mr. Phillips Abumere before agreeing to sell the said land to Mr Cajetan Okekearu is a forgery because Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu never signed any such document as a witness or in any capacity and do not know and have never at any time dealt with any Mr. Phillips Abumere in respect of anything.
“• Acting promptly upon her voluntary undertaking, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu has refunded the sum of =N=50,000000.00 (Fifty-Five Million Naira Only) out of the =N=130,000000.00 (‘Contract Sum’) she received from Mr. Cajetan Okekearu pursuant to the aforesaid contract of sale of the said land.
“•At the time they dealt with Mr. Cajetan Okekearu in respect of the said land our clients did not know that third-parties had trespassed onto the said land, dealing fraudulently thereto. Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu has since challenged the trespassers, reporting the matter to the Lagos State Lands Registry.
“• Continuing their belief in their right to deal in the property known and described as Block 4 Plot 24 Lekki Residential Scheme Phase 1, as recently as 18th October, 2011 our clients paid the sum =N=4,805,620.00 (Four Million And Thousand and Twenty Naira) to the Lagos State Government in respect of the said land. A letter of the Government of Lagos State confirming the payment was enclosed issued.
“• Paragraph xix and the letter mentioned there confirm a recent act of the Lagos State Government confirming that our clients are beneficially entitled to Block 4 Plot 24 Lekki Residential Scheme Phase 1, the land in respect of which our said clients received the money subject matter of Mr Cajetan Okekearu’s aforesaid complaint.
“• In view of the easily verifiable facts above, we hope that all concerned will appreciate that the dispute between Mr Cajetan Okekearu and our clients is entirely civil and has no criminal dimensions whatsoever. It is therefore, not something the Nigeria Police Force or anyone else is empowered to interfere with.
“• From the foregoing, it is clear that our client, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu is not a criminal and has not committed any fraudulent act to warrant a damaging publication being made against her.”

Culled from The Sun newspaper