29-year-old defrauds soldiers of N7.3m

A 29-year-old graduate of Yaba College of Technology, Ayoade Abidemi, has been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi for defrauding some soldiers of N7.3m.

The amount was meant for the purchase of a large expanse of land at Ofada, Ogun state.

Abidemi was arrested alongside his 30-year-old employee, Tope Kehinde, after the Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, received a petition from the victims, alleging that they had been defrauded.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Metro by the SFU Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Isintume-Agu, Abidemi is said to have registered his company, Ampris Global Resources in 2009 with the sole aim of selling and developing real estate.

Ogunsakin said, “Abidemi and Kehinde approached the complainants in September 2010 and told them of a large expanse of land for sale at Ofada. Abidemi claimed he had an agreement with a family to purchase 200 acres of land which he has started paying for in batches.

“Having indicated their interest, the military personnel paid the sum of N7.3m to the suspects with the expectation that the land will be allocated to them.

“Their suspicion was aroused when they requested title document but were presented with a forged survey plan. Upon arrest and interrogation, Abidemi confessed to obtaining the said sum from the complainants but claimed that he had no intention to defraud them since he had allocated some plots to some of the buyers.

“He also confessed that he had not processed the certificate of occupancy with Ogun State Land Registry, but stated that he had sent an application to that effect.”

Kehinde was said to have marketed the land to the complainants and provided them with the company’s account number where they paid the money for subscription.


-- Punch