A US-based Nigerian businessman was dazed in Lagos, when land agents led him to the lagoon after the part-payment for 150 plots offered for N787.5 million.
Kennedy Chukwuemeka Nwabuoku told detectives led by DCP Abutu Yaro, at the Force Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon, how he had paid N577, 590, 792 in installments among other charges, plus another N18million for bush clearing in February, and how the agents were sending him pictures and videos of caterpillars in action at the purported site at Ifedele Agunbiade Village, Sangotedo, in Eti-Osa area of Lagos.
Nwabuoku told the police that he bought the unseen land with a foreign partner and had paid in fiduciary trust, sending monies on different occasions through his company KenBouk Global Investment Ltd.
Identified as Emeka Okoronkwo and Michael Owolabi Alonge, the agents, according to Nwabuoku, had offered the land for sale at N5, 250, 000 per plot with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).
NewsmakersNG learnt that members of Nwabuoku’s family in Nigeria who wanted to see the site were told that the land was in an area bought by prominent Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Oba Riliwanu Akiolu, and it was cordoned off so that ordinary citizens could not gain access.
When he became suspicious, Nwabuoku sent the C of O to a friend to verify, and the friend found that no such land or location described in the document existed.
He decided to visit Nigeria and inspect the land for which he had paid the property agent, Okoronkwo, who was identified as owner of Kings Court Realtors at Plot 321A, Akin Ogunlewe Street, Victoria Island.
When he was quizzed by the police on November 8, 2017, Okoronkwo allegedly admitted that he collected N603, 000, 000 for 100 plots, agency fees and legal fees through transfers to Kings Court Realtors’ accounts in two banks.
Detectives found that Nwabuoku transferred the monies in the following order over a period: N229, 000, 000, N86, 000, 000, N120, 000, 000, N41, 300, 000, N11, 291, 000, and N90, 000, 000.
They also found that the C of O given to Nwabuoku is a fake one, and that Alonge who introduced him to Okoronkwo “masterminded the fraud”.
According to the detectives, fictitious persons were listed in the Deed of Assignment that the suspected fraudsters also gave to Nwabuoku.
When Nwabuoku arrived and insisted he must see the site before further payments, Alonge allegedly took him to a location far inside a wooded area that led to the lagoon with canoes going back and forth.
“Mr Michael Owolabi Alonge started pointing around and towards the lagoon, as if he was not sure where the land is anymore,” Nwabuoku stated in his petition to the police.
When Nwabuoku, who had been given no receipt, asked for a refund, he said that the suspects had threatened to kill him if he fails to keep quiet on the transaction.
Detectives have completed their investigation and the matter has been charged to court with Sgt Morufu Animashaun as police lawyer.
NewsmakersNG learnt that Alonge is on the run.
There was an arrest warrant for Okoronkwo who allegedly received the payments, and he will appear in court on December 5.
The case is pending before Chief Magistrate (Mrs) Abimbola Komolafe of Magistrate Court 3, Igbosere, in Lagos.
Case of the Man who sold Lagoon to Client get Busted as Google Earth map proves otherwise
November 25, 2017Sunday Onen Leave a comment lagoon
We have all read online about the Man who was alleged to have sold LAGOS Lagoon to his client. Everyone hailed the story as the height of all Nigerian Scam. Some people wondered how LAGOS State Government could have issued a Certificate of Occupancy for the Lagoon. As the case came up in court it turns out it was a false claim. The so called victim of this fraud initially was the accused and the Lagoon sale story was a counter punch to reverse the case. The story was so sweet that it was believed by all. Unfortunately the Google Earth Map of the land shows it is nowhere near the Lagoon. Another case of giving a dog a bad name to hang it.
http://www.atqnews.com/ng/case-man-sold-lagoon-client-get/
On Friday at the LAGOS high Court efforts were made to bail leading Real Estate promoter Mr. Emeka Okoronkwo who has been remanded in police Custody when an apparent False allegation was made against him. According stories on Social media it was alleged that Mr. Okoronkwo sold The LAGOS Lagoon to an Investor. Though people questioned how LAGOS State was able to issue a CofO for the LAGOS Lagoon. It turned out the story was false and an attempt to cover up an alleged Crime as Mr. Okoronkwo was initially the petitioner in the case but he has since became a victim.
Documents seen with his lawyers Osahon Idemudia of Libra Law Office today at the Courts when his bail conditions came up for review shows the particulars of a business deal turned Awry. There was no case of anyone selling the LAGOS Lagoon to anyone.. A neat case of refusal to pay has now been turned on its head.
Some of the Documents sighted showed the Original CofO and Survey maps showing the Legitimacy of the Land in Question. The Lawyers for Emeka Okoronkwo were in court with the documents to show that Mr. Okoronkwo is owed money and the Accuser instead paying up brought in the Police to alter the dynamics of Negotiation. Some of the documents sighted includes the petition below outlining the details of the Transactions.
FALSE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT and POLICE HIGH HANDEDNESS AGAINST MR. EMEKA OKORONKWO.
Mr. Emeka Okoronkwo a seasoned Professional a Chartered Surveyor and Valuer of Kings Court Realtors, presently lies critically ill at the Falomo Police Hospital where he is taking treatment with an armed police guard in his room.
Attached to this write up, is the Agreement for Accord and Satisfaction that was proposed and signed already by Mr. Okonrokwo in the presence of the Police IPOs agreeing that the land in question be sold and the proceeds used to refund the part payment made by the Complainant one Mr. Kennedy Nwabuoku of KenBuok Global Investments Limited. The refund was to be of money paid by Mr. Okoronkwo as a loan to the Mr. Nwanbuoku for the purchase of land to which title has been passed to him. The recital captures the tenor of the transaction.
It is instructive to note, that the Land in question is a Lagos State Government scheme and is covered by a Certificate of Occupancy. A land search was conducted by our firm prior to its purchase to authenticate the documents and who the owners are. The C of O was found to be valid and the land unencumbered.
The land itself is described in the survey plan attached to the C of O which same survey plan was used as the description in the Deed of Assignment conveying all 150 plots to the purchaser by the owners of the land. The Mr. Kennedy Nwabuoku was handed over the Original Certificate of Occupancy, along with the Deed of Assignment and a Power of Attorney, duly vesting the land in his company, his designated beneficiary. The receipt of all of these documents, was duly acknowledged by the complainant by email on receipt. Emails can be scanned to you should you require to see same.
Mr Kennedy
It is worthy of note, that what was paid for by the Complainant at the point where title was conveyed to him and he received all the documents of title was 100 plots, and what was contained in his title documents were 150plots. What he paid was *************, what was contained in his conveyancing document was **************.
It was the understanding that he would refund to the Mr. Okoronkwo the balance ************** on receipt of the all the title documents.
Mr. Nwabuoku was and has been unable to effect the refund and had asked Mr. Okonrokwo for time to effect the refund, which he was still unable to do after 3 months. The refund to Mr. Okoronkwo of the balance sum paid on his behalf to the owners of the land remains owed and outstanding to date a debt Mr Kennedy Nwabuoku acknowledged in writing.
Mr. Nwabuoku subsequent, on visiting the land, asked Mr. Okoronkwo to sell the 50plots the sum advanced on his behalf covers, as the location of the land was different from the one he was under the impression he was purchasing and that he was having difficulties raising more money from investors on that account.
Mr. Okoronkwo explained that he would require Mr. Nwabuoku to convey the 50 plots to him as he was now the owner of the entire 150 plots with an attendant Power of Attorney. Mr. Nwabuoku, responded by saying he wanted out of the transaction completely and that the entire 150plots be sold and the deposit payment he had advanced for the purchase be refunded to him.
Mr. Okonrokwo then requested that he returns the title documents and the Deed of Assignment and Power of Attorney sent to him, to enable him effect the sale. Mr. Nwabuoku refused, insisting that Mr. Okoronkwo pays him first before he returns the Original Title documents and the Deeds of Assignment and Power of Attorney conveying all 150 plots to him.
Mr. Okoronkwo, sensing that Mr. Nwabuoku did not intend to refund his money or convey the 50 plots to him, and was intent on converting the ******** advanced by him for the purchase as his own, wrote a petition to the EFCC asking the Commission to look into the transaction and have Mr. Nwabuoku refund his money.
Mr. Nwabuoku on the other hand, wrote to the Inspector General of Police, alleging that he was defrauded by Mr. Okonrokwo as follows:
a. That the Title Documents he was given was fake. This is false as the document is the original copy of a Lagos State Government C of O. A certified true copy is available at the Lands registry at Alausa. We could forward one to you should you require.
b. That the Deeds of Assignment contained fictitious names. This is again false, as the Deed of Assignment was of land covered by a C of O. The persons whose names appear on the C of O are also the same persons whose names appear on the Deed of Assignment which was duly executed by them.
c. That the documents received by him are incapable of conveying title to him, again false as Mr. Nwabuoku received the Original C of O, a Deed of Assignment and a Power of Attorney. What more would be required to vest title on Mr. Nwabuoku.
It is pertinent to note that when Mr. Okoronkwo first became aware of Mr. Nwabuoku’s Petition to the Police, he on his own, visited the authorities at Abuja and at his cost invited the Investigating officers to Lagos to visit the Land’s Registry at Alausa as well as the Land site. This they did. Sadly though the understanding of the Police was that the Land Mr. Nwabuoku believed he was buying was not what was bought and therefore his complaint of fraud was well founded. This conclusion/ thinking is indeed tragic given the clear provisions of the Land reform(Contracts) Law of Lagos State and the fact that at all times including in the initial offer of the Land to Mr. Nwabuoku, the land in question was described as 150 plots and more particularly described by the survey plan attached to the C of O. See attached.
It was in other to avoid any unpleasantness that Mr. Okoronkwo agreed to find another buyer for the land and to refund the money advanced by Mr. Nwabuoku. This would also enable him obtain the refund of the sum of****** owed him by Mr. Nwabuoku. This was in the light of the several threats made Mr. Okoronkwo by Mr. Nwabuoku to deal with him.
It is worthy of note that Mr. Okoronkwo who had honoured every invitation by the Police, was arrested in his lawyer’s office at a meeting conveyed by the Police to sign the attached Agreement for Accord and Satisfaction in resolution of the issues in difference. See attached.
Mr. Okoronkwo having reviewed the Agreement clause by clause with the Police team of two, confirmed that he agreed to all the terms and that he voluntarily signed it and had his signature witnessed. The Police collected all three copies for delivery to the complainant to sign. The annotation on the cover of the Agreement bears this out. It was after the Police have collected all the originals, acknowledged receipt, that they announced that they have instructions to take a surety for his bail. Mr. Okoronkwo’s lawyer’s thinking it was an honest desire to adhere to protocol volunteered to stand as his surety, upon which the Policemen said it could only be done at a Police Station and that the Bar Beach Police Station was the closest. Mr. Okoronkwo in company of his lawyer obliged. At the station his phones were forcefully taken from him, he was told he was under arrest and put behind the counter.
Mr. Okoronkwo did not at any time resist or quarrel with the Police. When the Station refused to take him into custody, for reasons best known to them, the Police asked that we all go to Alagbon Close, to which Mr. Okoronkwo obliged, believing this was all a mistake and that once the superior officers knew the truth the would call the IPOs to order.
That indeed was the beginning of Mr. Okoronkwo’s nightmare. He was, 30 minutes of arrival at Alagbon clammed into a cell with instructions not to be allowed visitors. His lawyers protested and having reached out to high ranking members of the Police and Government to complain the serious affront of Mr. Okoronkwo’s liberties, he was allowed limited access and on the 8th of November with 30 minutes notice to his lawyers, hurriedly brought before a magistrate at Igbosere Magistrate Court for a Remand Order. Mr. Okoronkwo’s lawyer’s applied for bail under S. 264 of the same Law under which the remand order was sought. The Magistrate in a considered Ruling stated that she had no powers to grant bail as there were no charges filed against Mr. Okoronkwo and that he had only be brought for an order of remand but however she would grant a remand order for 30 days.
This was so even though the fact that he was arrested without a warrant and that the transaction in question was wholly civil were brought to the attention of the court.
Mr. Okoronkwo was returned to Police custody at Alagbon at about 2pm. At about 4pm, while still in the cell, an officer came in, placed him on leg chains/stocks and took a photograph of him in the stocks . The stocks were perhaps too tight and caused his legs to swell terribly. Words somehow got to me about this situation and I made frantic phone calls and sent out SMS’s to persons who I felt were in the know in the matter and should call the Police officers behind the torture and humiliation of Mr. Okoronkwo to order. It was promised that something would be done about it. The next day which was a Saturday, I visited Mr. Okoronkwo at the Station. I was first denied access to him but when I called Femi Falana SAN initially because of hisHuman Rights credentials, but who I was later informed was Mr. Nwabuoku’s lawyer, he promised to call the police to remedy that. The IPO joined me 10 minutes later and went to bring him from the cell. Mr. Okoronkwo could barely walk and was very weak. He had lower abdominal pains and difficulties passing urine. I interviewed him in the presence of the IPO and he informed me that his legs were chained at about 4pm and that the chains were only taken off at about 12 midnight when the other inmates raised alarm that his feet had swollen terribly and that he was in excruciating pains.
Mr. Okoronkwo was rushed to the Police hospital on the 15th of November when he was found to be very weak and ill in the cell. His blood pressure had risen to 200/120. He was administered first aid and rushed to the hospital by the Police Prosecutor in the company of the police doctor who administered life saving first aid and an armed Mobile Policeman. Though in a critical state, he was not moved to the Hospital until after 3hours, though his situation was dire as we were told that only his IPO could take him and the IPO was no where to be found. Indeed he had sent text messages around including to me, that he had been recalled to Abuja the previous day on an urgent assignment. This was subsequently found to be false. He was in Lagos all the while a fact that would never have been known by me or the authorities at Alagbon close had I not had a chance encounter with him at the Alagbon / Bell Avenue junction, he sitting atop a motor bike (Okada)
Mr. Okoronkwo’s situation is still very dire. He had collapsed in the hospital on the night of the 15th of November, completely unaware of where he was. He had to be assisted in walking and had difficulty urinating. The doctors have battled to stabilize him, but continues to need medical attention.
Mr Okoronkwo continues to be denied bail by the Police Authority despite the fact that this is a civil transaction and him the victim. He has an armed Policeman stationed in his room 24/7 and is confused as to what he has done to deserve this in a democracy where the Rule of Law is supposed to operational and Mr. Kennedy Nwabuoku and his backers are very aware of the infraction of Mr. Okoronkwo’s liberties and the excesses of the Police in this matter.