Musa later discovered that he had been duped, as the land was already being developed by someone else. “When I approached the person, he claimed that he is the rightful owner of the land and showed me a letter of grant from Kano State Ministry of Lands,” he said.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, April 27, 2015 arraigned Sa’idu Gado before Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court, on a three-count charge bordering on criminal conversion of land, obtaining by false pretence and forgery.
The victim of his nefarious act, Mustapha Musa had petitioned the EFCC alleging that Gado sold a plot of land to him in Darmanawa, Tarauni Local Government Area of the state at the cost of N6million, with claim that the title documents were certified by the Kano State Emirate Council.
In lieu of the full cash payment, Musa gave Gado plots of land valued at N5,500,000 and cash sum of N500,000.
Musa later discovered that he had been duped, as the land was already being developed by someone else. “When I approached the person, he claimed that he is the rightful owner of the land and showed me a letter of grant from Kano State Ministry of Lands,” he said.
Upon verification, it was discovered that the land title document given to Musa by the suspect, was non-existent.
Though the accused later offered Musa seven plots of land in various locations in the state, all turned out to be non-existent as the title documents he presented were forged.
When the charges were read to the accused person he pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, thus urged the court to fix a date for trial in view of the accused person’s plea.
Justice Auta adjourned the case till May 21, 2015 for trial and ordered the accused person to be remanded in prison custody.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
28th April, 2015