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By Madu Obi
AN indigene of Benin Republic who is a bricklayer resident in Anambra State has been arraigned before an Nnobi Chief Magistrate Court in Idemili South local government area of the state for allegedly defrauding an orphan, Miss Victoria Mbachu of her inherited property worth N10m.
The Beninese, who forged a Nigerian passport and acquired the name, Olufemi Salako while working as a bricklayer at Nnobi, allegedly committed the offence with a 65 year-old native doctor, Chijioke Okaa in July, 2020.
Salako absconded after commiting the offence and was declared wanted by the police.
However, the orphan, Miss Mbachu, who was cohabiting with Salako and already had two children for him, tricked him into returning to Anambra State to give evidence against the native doctor, only to be remanded in prison custody on Friday.
Salako was lodged in an Awka hotel with Mbachu with their children, not knowing what awaited him at the Magistrate Court.He was cheerful during the trip from Awka to Nnobi, but his mood changed when the charges were read against him.
In the amended charge, the Police prosecutor, Mr Ifeanyi Eze said the initial five count-charge in the matter between the Commissioner of Police and Chijioke Peter Okaa has included Olufemi Salako.
The prosecutor told the court that Okaa and Salako had sometime within the months of July 2020 and October, 2021 at Nnobi did attempt to commit felony by inducing Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu, an orphan to change a title document of her land in favour of Okaa.
Eze also alleged that Salako had conspired with Okaa to promise Nzube that he would build a house for her and relocate her and her children from her family compound, in addition to providing more money to her.
The prosecutor further said that the accused persons forcibly entered the said land thereby committed an offence punishable under section 496 (a) of the Criminal Code Law Cap 36, Volume ii, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991 as amended.
Eze stated that the accused willfully and unlawfully damaged an existing property belonging to one Bonaventure Ezekwenna on the said land. According to the prosecution, Okaa forcibly entered into the property with survey plan number GEO-B/AN425/2021 which was in actual and peaceable possession by Ezekwenna.
The prosecutor added that the accused persons had tricked Nzube into believing that several deaths in her lineage was because of their place of abode and made her surrender to the title document.
After listening to charges, Olufemi Salako pleaded not guilty to all the charges.Eze told the court to be mindful of the danger of granting bail to Olufemi Salako, saying “the second accused person is from Republic of Benin and can jump bail”.
After listening to the amended five -count charge, the Chief Magistrate, Ken Nwoye granted Salako bail in the sum of N1.5 million and one surety who must be a native of Nnobi.
Nwoye, who said the court must verify the authenticity of the address of the surety, adjourned the matter to July 28 for definite hearing.
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