A 33-year-old legal practitioner, Luka Yabagi, was on Tuesday arraigned in a Life Camp Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for defrauding his client of N7.2 million.

The police charged Mr Yabagi with cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution counsel, Charity Nwachukwu, told the court that one Mukhtar Isah of No. 4 Goodluck Jonathan Street, Dakwa, Abuja, reported the matter at the Gwarinpa Police Station on December 9, 2024.

Ms Nwachukwu said the defendant dishonestly and deceitfully made the complainant believe he had the connection to process land allocation for him at the Federal Capital Development Authority.

The prosecutor said the complainant paid N7.2 million to the defendant’s Access Bank account, 1466739589, bearing Linus Luka.

Ms Nwachukwu said the defendant fraudulently gave the complainant an offer of statutory right of occupancy, statutory right of occupancy bill, site plan and a certificate of occupancy No. FCT/MZTP/LA/CUS/2047.

She said all the documents bore Paiamist Nig. Ltd as the allottee with plot No: 2233 located at Guzape II.

Ms Nwachukwu told the court that the defendant deceitfully presented all the forged documents to the complainant and converted the N7.2 million meant for the land process and documentation to his personal use.

She also informed the court that the defendant had absconded and all efforts to reach him failed.

The police said the defendant was later tracked and apprehended. She said that during the investigation, the police discovered that the purported documents the defendant had issued to the complainant had been altered, forged, and did not emanate from the Department of Land Administration.

The chief magistrate, Musa Jobbo, admitted the defendant to bail of N1 million and two sureties in like sum.

Mr Jobbo ordered that the sureties must produce a reliable means of identification before the court registry. He said one of the sureties must be a property owner and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

Mr Jobbo ordered the defendant to deposit N2 million to the FCT High Court registry and adjourned until June 19 for a hearing.

(NAN)