A 65-year-old Anambra State-based native doctor, Peter Okaa has been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court, Nnobi in Idemili South local government area on a five-count charge of tricking an orphan, Miss Victoria Mbachu, to part with her family land worth N10m.
Okaa allegedly committed the offence in July 2022 with one Olufemi Salako now at large after promising to build a house for her.
When the matter came up for hearing on Friday, the Police prosecutor, Mr Ifeanyi Eze said Okaa and Salako fraudulently made Mbachu submit the title document of her land in their favour.
According to the prosecutor, the accused promised to build a house worth N10 million for Mbachu rather than pay her, which he never did.
The charge read in part: “That you, Okaa, concealed the title document with intent to fraudulently convert the property to your own through the title document, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 75 of the Criminal Code law, Cap 36, Vol 11, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991, as amended; and
“That you willfully and unlawfully damaged a building which is estimated to value N10 million which is the property of one Bonaventure Ezekwenna and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prohibition of Fraudulent Practices on Land and Property and other matters law of Anambra State of Nigeria, 2012.
The charge also stated that Okaa, sometime in the month of April 2022, at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, Abuja, gave false information to the Inspector General of Police and his investigation officers that he duly purchased the land delineated in survey plan No.GEO-B/AN425/2021 from Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu, a fact he knew to be false, with the intention to cause the Inspector General of Police to use his lawful power to annoy Miss Mbachu and Bonaventure Ezekwenna.
When the charges were read to him, Okaa pleaded not guilty to all of them.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Ken Nwoye, however, granted bail to the accused person in the sum of N200,000, and a surety who must be a resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
He later adjourned the matter till July 14, 2023, for a definite hearing and directed all parties in the case to be present, warning that he would not entertain unnecessary delay.
Credit: Vanguard online
