Chief Magistrate Musa Jobbo sitting in Life Camp in Abuja on Tuesday docked 33-year-old lawyer, Luka Yabagi, for allegedly cheating his client of N7.2 million.
The police accused Yabagi of cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery.
The defendant however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Prosecutor, Mrs. Charity Nwachukwu, told the court that one Mukhtar Isiah of No.4 Goodluck Jonathan Street Dakwa, Abuja reported the matter at the Gwarinpa Police Station on Dec. 9, 2024
Nwachukwu said the defendant dishonestly and deceitfully made the complainant to believe he had the connection to process land allocation for him at the Federal Capital Development Authority.
The prosecutor said the complainant paid N7.2million to the defendant’s Access Bank account 1466739589 bearing Linus Luka.
Nwachukwu said the defendant fraudulently and dishonestly gave the complainant an offer of statutory right of occupancy, statutory right of occupancy bill, site plan and a certificate of occupancy No. FCT/MZTP/LA/CUS/2047.
She said all the documents bore Paiamist Nig. Ltd as the allottee with plot No: 2233 located at Gozape II.
Nwachukwu told the court that the defendant deceitfully presented all the said forged documents to the complainant and converted the N7.2 million that was meant for the land process and documentation to his personal use.
She also informed the court that the defendant absconded and all efforts made to reach him failed.
The police said the defendant was later tracked and apprehended.
She said during investigation, the police discovered that the purported documents the defendant issued to the complainant were altered, forged and did not emanate from the Department of Land Administration.
Nwachukwu said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 322, 312, 364 and 366 of the Penal Code.
The Chief Magistrate admitted the defendant to bail in N 1 million and two sureties in like sum and ordered that the sureties must produce a reliable means of identification before the court registry.
He said one of the sureties must be a property owner and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and again ordered the defendant to deposit N2 million with the FCT high court registry and adjourned the matter until June 19 for hearing .
