The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced one Abdulrahman Lawal Raji to 15 years imprisonment for defrauding a victim of N26 million under the guise of facilitating the purchase of a Toyota Hilux vehicle.
Justice Ismail Ijelu delivered the judgment on Tuesday after finding Raji guilty of obtaining money by false pretence.
The case was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which arraigned the defendant in November 2023 on a two-count amended charge.
One of the counts reads: “ABDULRAHMAN LAWAL RAJI and ABDULRAHMAN LAWAL (at large), between 20th March, 2023 and 21 March, 2023 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained a gross sum of N26,000,000 from Olaide Ibidapo by falsely representing it was the purchase price for a Toyota Hilux 2022 car, which representation you knew to be false”.
According to the anti-graft agency, Raji collected N26 million from a petitioner in March 2023, claiming the money was meant for the purchase of a 2022 Toyota Hilux. Investigators said the vehicle was never delivered, and the funds were not refunded to the buyer.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by counsel Ebuka Okongwu, presented four witnesses and tendered several documents to support its case. The defence also called two witnesses in an attempt to challenge the allegations.
In his ruling, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently convicted the defendant on both counts.
The court sentenced Raji to 10 years imprisonment on the first count and five years on the second count, without the option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The judge further ordered the convict to refund the N26 million obtained from the complainant.
The conviction marks the end of a legal battle that began after the victim reported that payment had been made for a vehicle that was never supplied, prompting an investigation by the EFCC.