EFCC arrests three lawyers, two others at large for defrauding Pastor

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) Ilorin Zonal Office has arrested three legal practitioners for allegedly defrauding a Pastor, Adetunji Adedoyin, of his property valued at about N20 million.

The anti-graft agency named the accused lawyers as Salman Rafiu, Sulyman Abaya and Saka Hammed, while it said that others who are at large are, Olarewaju Aluko and Mr Na’ Allah Suyuti.

In a statement by the EFCC in Ilorin on Wednesday, it said that the petitioner alleged that the suspects fraudulently obtained a court order through false representation and sold his property without his consent or briefing them to defend him in the legal proceedings which they instituted.

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“I was informed that I was served summons all through the Court proceedings whereas it was R.A Salman who picked and arranged his colleagues,  Abaya Sulyman and Saka Hammed to stand for me and these lawyers forged my signature on some documents purporting to consent in court to the sale of my hostel”, he said.

Adedoyin also said that “The truth of the matter is, I never set my eyes on these people (lawyers) prior to or during the court proceedings, neither did I participate directly or indirectly in the proceedings. I also was not aware of the proceedings from the beginning to the end.

“Earlier in 2016, after seeking advice on what to do, I engaged a lawyer,  Victor Okojie, in Ilorin to pursue justice for me because all attempts I made failed. Victor Okojie later linked me with the buyer Mr Na’ Allah and the buyer’s lawyer, Ayodele Aluko Olarewaju. The buyer felt my pain and explained that he has expended about N12.5 million for the acquisition of my property. He said he was willing to release it only if I can pay back the money”.

The petitioner further explained that he was able to pay the sum of N4.2million to the buyer’s account in order to recover the stolen property which they released for him as at that time.

“The hostel was taken over again in March 2019 by the alleged buyer Mr Na’ Allah through his lawyer, Aluko Olarewaju on the grounds that I have not paid the outstanding balance”.

The statement also said that the suspects had earlier denied all the allegations against them until when the operatives of the EFCC confronted them with some alleged forged documents which they claimed emanated from the petitioner.

“The principal suspect in the case, Barrister Salman Rafiu, were showed an affidavit prepared by them and purportedly signed by the petitioner”.