Siblings Arraigned In Court For Alleged Title Document Theft
The police in Lagos on Wednesday docked a 35 year-old woman, Kehinde Gbadamosi and her brother, Olamide Gbadamosi, 54, before the Federal High Court in Lagos, for alleged conspiracy, forgery and uttering of land title documents.
The two siblings, who were arraigned before Justice Muslim Hassan by the men of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti-Yaba, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The police in an amended charge numbered FHC/L/390c/2017, alleged that the two accused persons and others at large, sometimes in the month of November, 2016, at 52, Shipeolu street, Palmgrove, Shomolu, Lagos, conspired among themselves to steal title documents of a property located at 6, Oketoyinbo street, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos, belonging to one late Mrs. Sidikatu Morounmubo Ogunsanya.
The duo were also alleged to have used the same title documents to sell the property at the sum of N24 million, to one Akindele Olawale Ojo.
The two accused persons were also alleged to have made a fake power of Attorney dated October 4, 2016, in the name of Ganiat Oluwakemi Roberts and her siblings on the said property located at 6, Oketoyinbo street, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos, belonging to late Ogunsanya.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, Uhumwangho N. Watson, are contrary to 516, 390(8)(b) 465 and 468, and punishable under sections 467(2)(e) (h) (m) (n), (4)(p) and (q), and 467 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
Based on their plea, the accused person’s lawyer, Adewale Fadipe, urged the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms.
Adewale stated that though granting of bail is at the discretion of the court, he however stated that the offences committed by his clients are bailable ones.
Following the submission of the lawyer to the accused, the trial judge, Justice Muslim Hassan, granted them bail in the sum of N500, 000, with one surety each in like sum.
The judge also ordered that the sureties must be a Grade Level 12 officers either in the Lagos state or federal government establishment, alternatively a landed property owner with genuine Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) in Lagos State.
While adjourning the matter till January 24, 2018, for trial, the court ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of the bail terms.
