A Magistrate’s Court in Ebute-Metta of Nigeria’s Lagos state on Wednesday, May 16 sentenced a property developer to a cumulative jail term of 2,670 years after he pleaded guilty to defrauding 133 prospective tenants of a staggering N25 million under the pretext of letting them houses.
A report by yabaleftonline.ng indicated that the court handed down to the convict 10 years imprisonment for each of the 267 charges.
The 2,670 jail term will take effect from April 26, 2017 when the convict was reportedly placed in prison custody after his initial bail was withdrawn.
Chief Magistrate O. O. Olatunji who read the court’s verdict said Alhaji Ayobami Oseni’s offence was an affront to Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
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The convict was arrested and processed for court by the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) on December 7, 2012 after some of his victims who had gone to the building in question realised that all the apartments in it were already occupied.
They then petitioned the Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department (LASRETRAD), an agency of the Lagos State Ministry of Housing who caused the arrest of the convict.
Prosecuting, ASP Abraham Fadipe told the court that the controversial house is a four mini-flats and two self-contained apartments located at No 3, Church Close, Ajao Estate, Lagos.
He added that Alhaji Ayobami Oseni, even before the said house was completed had advertised it for rent and was able to defraud not less than 133 unsuspecting victims of monies ranging between N160,000 to N300,000.
The convict is reported to have admitted that it was “not normal” for the 133 victims to all get spaces in the 8-apartment building, hence he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.