A former governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Otunba Yinka Akerele, has been dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, over alleged fraud and breach of agreement.
Otunba Akerele was dragged before the court by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Golden City Homes and Properties LTD, Chief Abiodun Fagboro.
The former governorship aspirant is being accused of allegedly collecting the sum of five million naira (N5m) from the claimant, Chief Fagbooro, as agreed on the sale of one acre of land situated along Iworoko road but reneged as he failed to hand over all necessary documents four years later.
In the suit number HAD/15/2020, Chief Fagboro, is seeking order for the defendant to honour the earlier agreement reached on the land.
The court papers obtained by our correspondent claimed that six million naira (N6m) was agreed for the land at the point of agreement, wherein five million naira (N5m) has been paid.
It therefore prayed the court to compel the defendant to obtain the balance of one million naira and release all necessary documents.
According to the statement by the claimant, his company, Golden City Homes and Properties LTD registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act with RC No.1205637 and located in Lagos State, had sometimes in 2016 approached the defendant for six acres of land to be used by the company for cement business.
He said Otunba Akerele took him and other members of the company to his landed property along Iworoko road where he offered to sell a plot at one million naira and it was agreed that the money would be paid in tranches.
Consequently, the sum of four million naira was paid to the defendant on January 29, 2016, through bank deposit while another five hundred naira was paid cash to him out of the balance of two million naira when he claimed that he needed money urgently to pay some workers whom he said were working for him on ICT hall contract secured from the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.
The said five hundred thousand naira was said to have been paid to the defendant at the house of one of the his employee, Miss Moji at Ifako Road, Agege, Lagos, in the presence of Messrs Godson, Femi Fasan, Dele Dada, and Adebayo Fagboro who is one of the Directors of the claimant’s company.
Chief Fagboro stated further that the defendant again requested for another five hundred thousand naira which he claimed was needed to complete the payment of the purchase of the landed property to enable him collect necessary title documents from the family that sold the land to him.
He said that the money was raised and paid to the defendant at Lagos in the presence of Messrs Godson, Femi Fasan, Dele Dada and Fagboro Adebayo.
He added that during the last gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, the defendant demanded for the payment of the balance of one million naira (N1m) which he said was needed to support his electioneering campaign but the money could not be raised due to financial constraints.
Chief Fagboro however said when the company was able to raise the balance, Otunba Akerele was contacted but surprisingly said due to the delay during his electioneering, he would now sell a plot at three million naira if the buyer is still interested.
He therefore said all efforts to persuade the defendant proved abortive.
When contacted, counsel to the claimant, Dr. E.K Adetifa, confirmed the claims of his client while hoping that justice would prevail.
Meanwhile, Otunba Akerele has declined comment on the matter but confirmed that the court summon had been served on him.