The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three lawyers for alleged illegal acquisition and sale of a property belonging to one Adetunji Adedoyin valued at about N20 million.
The accused lawyers are Salman Rafiu, Sulyman Abaya and Saka Hammed.
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Two others identified as Olarewaju Aluko and Mr Na’ Allah Suyuti are currently at large.
Mr Adedoyin alleged in a petition that the suspects fraudulently obtained a court judgment with which they claimed and sold his property without his knowledge and consent.
In getting the judgement, EFCC said in a statement on Wednesday, the suspects ensured that their victim, the petitioner did not get summons, but went ahead and provided defence lawyers for him without his knowledge or consent and with whom he never had any discussion.
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According to him, “I was informed that I was served summons all through the court proceedings, whereas it was R.A Salman who put up his colleagues, Abaya Sulyman and Saka Hammed, to stand for me and these lawyers forged my signature on some documents purporting my consent in court to the sale of my hostel.”
Adedoyin further stated that “The truth of the matter is that 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.”
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The petitioner further explained that he had to pay the sum of N4.2million to the buyer, Mr Na’ Allah in order to recover his stolen property, but that “The hostel was taken over again in March 2019 by Mr Na’ Allah through his lawyer, Aluko Olarewaju, on the grounds that I have not paid the outstanding balance.”
The suspects denied the allegations of forgery against them during their interrogation by the operatives of the EFCC, disowning the affidavit they fabricated, which they claimed in court, the petitioner signed.
Meanwhile, efforts are on-going to arrest the fleeing accomplices in the alleged crime, the anti-graft agency said.
