The trial of a Legal Practitioner, Akeem Jimoh who was accused of defrauding many people of their lands commenced on Monday July 15, 2019 before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin with the prosecution calling two witnesses.
A key prosecution witness, Babatunde Shittu told the Presiding Judge,Ā that the Commission received a petition from one Mr Chukwudi sometimes in March 2019, alleging that the accused Person defrauded him of about one point six million naira of his landed property.
Shittu testified further that ā The defendant stopped picking the complainantās calls after this incident, upon his arrest, his family and friends put pressure on the complainant and he withdrew his petition ā
The witness while being led in evidence by the Prosecuting Counsel, Sesan Ola saidĀ ā The Commission received a transferred case file from Ibadan Zonal Office the EFCC where one Alhaji Saka Kareem claimed that he gave power of attorney to the defendant to sell twenty out of thirty five plots of his land situated at Tanke in Ilorin, he sold the whole thirty five and diverted the money to his own personal useā
āUpon his family intervention,Ā the second petitioner also withdrew his petition that he was no longer interested in the case ā
The last petition came from the complainant in this case, one Ogunleye Dare Benjamin, he claimed he bought a plot of land from Lawyer Akeem Jimoh in 2011, He went there in 2018, he discovered that the land had been fenced, he took the complainant to the scene, but he (Lawyer Akeem) denied having knowledge about the Person who erected the fenceā
Shittu,Ā A Principal Detective Superintendent further told Justice Abdulgafar ā My Lord, our investigations reveal that one Titiayo George bought the land in 2006, we invited her, She explained explained to us that she bought the land from one Ojigiri Samuel who bought the land from the defendantā
Prosecuting Counsel however sought to tender the statements made by the accused Person to the operatives of the EFCC during interrogation where the embattled Legal Practitioner confessed to the crime.
Lead Counsel to the defence,Ā V.O Aluko objected the admissibility of the statements, insisting that his client made the statement under duress, harassment and and intimidation.
Justice Abdulgafar has adjourned the case till Tuesday July 16, 2019 for trial within trial.