FRANCIS IWUCHUKWU 
The Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State, presided over by Chief Magistrate Ademola Olatunbosun, has ordered the arrest of a 49-year-old self-acclaimed property developer, Abiola Afolabi Sarafadeen, over his failure to appear before the court to face trial on allegation of fraud and stealing made against him by the police. Sarafadeen was dragged before the court through a charge marked A/124/2023 on September 20, 2023, on charges of obtaining by false pretence and stealing a sum to the tune of N8.4 million.
Specifically, the self-acclaimed property developer was alleged to have fraudulently obtained the said sum from one Monsurat Shobowale Olabisi, under the pretence of building three units of bedroom flat. The offence, according to the prosecutor, Mrs Rita Momah, contravenes Sections 314 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015 and is punishable under the same laws. But Sarafadeen had pleaded not guilty to the charge, making the court grant him bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum. Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun equally ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed, with evidence of three years of tax payment.
However, since the defendant has been granted bail, he has failed to appear in court to face trial. Consequent to this development, the prosecutor prayed to the court to issue a bench warrant against the defendant. Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun, after entertaining arguments from the prosecutor, granted the request and held that: “the defendant is placed on a bench warrant and surety to show cause.” Thereafter, the case was adjourned until April 10, for mention.
The charge against the defendant reads: “That you Abiola Afolabi Sharafadeen ‘m’ on 22nd March 2021 did obtain the sum of N8,400,000 (Eight Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Monsurat Shobowale Olabisi ‘f’ under the pretence that you are going to build three units of bedroom flat knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 of Criminal Laws of Lagos state of Nigeria 2015. “That you Abiola Afolabi Sharafadeen ‘m’ on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did steal the sum of N8,400,000 (Eight Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira) property of Monsurat Shobowale Olabisi’ ‘f’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
