A high court in Ilorin has fixed February 5th, 2020 for judgment over a land fraud case involving an Ilorin based lawyer Akeem Jimoh.
The case which was before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar, by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sometime in July 2019 arraigned the embattled lawyer on a one count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretext.
The charge reads, “That you, Akeem Jimoh, sometime in August 2011 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of the honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N150,000 from one Mr Ogunleye Benjamin for a plot of land which you knew to be false.”
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge at the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday.
Lead Counsel to the defence, Olarewaju Aluko in adopting his final written address urged the Court to discharge and acquit his client on the grounds that the prosecution has failed to link Jimoh to the alleged crime.
He said ” My Lord, the defendant was arraigned before this Court on one count charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 14 of the Advance Fee fraud, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered two Exhibits. The only issue we formulated is whether the prosecution has succeeded to prove the ingredients of obtaining money by false pretence against the defendant, the answer is No. ”
Responding, Prosecution Counsel, Sessan Ola urged Justice Abdulgafar to convict the defendant, insisting that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Ola said ” looking at the testimonies of the four prosecution witnesses and the two exhibits tendered, it was so clear that the defendant did not tell the PW1 that he had sold the land since 2011 to PW3, I want the Court to hold that the EFCC have succeeded in proving its case ”
Justice Abdulgafar after hearing the argument of both parties adjourned the case till 5th of February 2020 for final Judgment.
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