Sulaimon Gbajabiamila, a brother to Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, has been dragged to the Yaba Magistrate Court 1 for allegedly defrauding a United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, Lateef Adeyemo, of the sum of N31million.
Gbajabiamila had presented himself as an estate agent last year, fraudulently collected and converted to his own use, N31million (N30 million for the property, N1million for agent fee) meant for the purchase of a two-bedroom flat for Adeyemo between September and October 2021.
According to Adeyemo, it was clear to him that, Gbajabiamila had defrauded him when he (Gbajabiamila) refused to pick his calls and several attempts to see him physically proved abortive.
The plaintiff further revealed that, the men that introduced the suspect appealed to him not to worry, because his brother, Femi Gbajabiamila would intervene into the matter.
“After much pressure, Mr Sulaimon Gbajabiamila issued a counterfeit bank draft to me and started spreading the news that he had paid my money,” he said.
Adeyemo further made it known that on several occasions, Gbajabiamila boasted that “nobody could touch him in this country so far, his brother still remains his backbone.”
He also said he gathered that the suspect has defrauded several people.
In an effort to recover his money, Adeyemo said he wrote a letter of appeal to the House of Representatives Speaker but all moves in that direction proved abortive as no response was gotten from him.
The UK-based Nigerian however approached the police and the matter was charged to court.
Gbajabiamila is being charged on a two-count charge of false representation and stealing, an offence punishable under section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you SULAIMON GBAJABIAMILA M’ on or about the month of August 2022, at No. 2b, Bankole Olemoh Street, Surulere Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did presented yourself as an Estate agent and fraudulently collected and converted to your own use, the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000) meant for the purchase of 2 bedroom flat, property of Alhaji Lateef Ayo Adeyemo, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you SULAIMON GBAJABIAMILA ‘M* on or about the month of August 2022, at No. 2b, Bankole Olemoh Street, Surulere Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did steal the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000) meant for the purchase of 2 bedroom flat, property of Alhaj Lateef Ayo Adeyemo and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015” the charges read.
The matter is currently before Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun, with the next adjournment date slated for July 25, 2022.
