The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, on Monday, January 12, 2026, presented its first prosecution witness, PWI, Abiodun Gafar Ademolade, a businessman, in the trial of one Murtala Adebayo over an alleged N19 million land fraud before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja.
Adebayo is facing trial on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, following his re-arraignment.
The defendant had earlier pleaded “not guilty” when he was first arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the same court.
Investigation revealed that between 2015 and 2019, Adebayo fraudulently obtained the sum of N4.5 million from the PW1, who is also the nominal complainant, under the guise of selling three plots of land at Ogombo, Ajah, Lagos.
The defendant was also accused of collecting the sum of N5.5 million for another 18 plots of land at Ayegbemi Village, Ibeju-Lekki, as well as taking two Toyota Camry vehicles and one Honda Accord valued at N9 million from the complainant under false pretences.
The offences contravene Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
At the resumed sitting on Monday , Ademolade, in his testimony, told the court that the defendant is his father-in-law and the family head (Olórí Ẹbí of Ajah).
The PW1 stated that he met the defendant about 14 years ago and was encouraged by him to invest in land business.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, I. O. Daramola, the PW1 narrated that he first paid a sum of N500,000 in the presence of Adebayo’s Secretary simply identified as Ahmed, a.k.a. DPO, and one Godwin Richard.
The PW1, while giving further evidence, said Adebayo later offered him three plots of land at Ogombo for the sum of N4.5 million, for which he made several cash payments in the presence of the two individuals .
He added: “ A few years later, I was introduced to another land deal involving 18 plots at Ayogbemi, Ibeju-Lekki, where I paid some money through bank transfers and cash to Godwin upon his instructions.
“ I also handed over three vehicles to him, as part of the transaction.”
The PW1 stated that though receipts and agreement documents were issued to him, he discovered when he visited the sites that the lands had either been sold or were not available.
“ Verification at the Alausa Land Registry showed that the properties were not for sale.
“ I, thereafter, discovered that the receipts and agreement issued to me by Adebayo were “Gbagirogi “(fake documents) ; hence they didn’t put the lawyer’s contact details on it.
“ I decided to petition the EFCC, through my lawyer, when efforts to resolve the matter through his family failed.”
During the proceedings , the prosecution tendered the receipts for three lands; the deeds of agreement for the lands and as well as that of another 18 plots of land and the receipts for the vehicles.
They were all admitted in evidence by the court.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Bamidele Ogundele, the witness confirmed receiving a sum of N4.5 million from the defendant for the Ogombo land.
He also admitted that most of his payments were made to Godwin based on the defendant’s verbal instructions.
“ He later confirmed them,” he told the court.
He acknowledged that the defendant issued receipts for payments and that banks’ statements reflecting the transactions were admitted in evidence.
When questioned about a N30 million demand letter earlier issued through a law firm, the witness described it as part of a civil claim, adding that the criminal case was based on the receipts issued by the defendant.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case till March 3 and 4, 2026 for continuation of trial.
