The police at the Maroko Division, Lekki Eti Osa, Victoria Island,
Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, have arrested a Ghanaian, identified as Otunba
Kehinde Dodo, 74, who has been parading himself as a legal practitioner
for the past 15 years to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Kehinde Dodo
He was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on a five-count charge of impersonation, forgery and conspiracy to commit felony to wit stealing the sum of N1 million.
The police alleged that Dodo was arrested following a complaint lodged by David Onwu that Dodo on 13 June, 2011 approached and identified himself as a legal practitioner that he has a parcel of land to sell to him at Plot 29, Block 78, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, for N80 million.
He told the police further that Dodo backed up his claims with some documents of the said land and he believed him and paid him N1 million in advance, and promised to pay the balance of N79 million in the next three days since it was a weekend.
But while he was planning to pay the balance, he received a tip from a source that the said land was not genuine and that the lawyer was a fake.
Following the information, the police were informed and they swung into action and arrested Dodo where he was waiting to collect the balance of N79 million.
But the accused reportedly escaped from the police station in the evening of the same day that he was arrested.
However, on 8 February, 2012 he was re-arrested by the police at a hideout following a tip off.
During interrogation, Dodo allegedly confessed to the police that he was a fake lawyer and that the land he wanted to sell to the victim did not belong to him, but just to defraud him.
“My mother is from Ilesha in Osun State and my father is a Ghanaian. I have been impersonating as a lawyer to defraud members of the public, represent them in courts and selling people’s land to unsuspecting members of the public without problem for the past 15 years,” he allegedly confessed to the police.
After investigation, he was charged to court.
According to the police prosecutor, Odugbo Innocent the offence is punishable under Sections 410, 285(5), 363, 378(1) and 106(a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Part of the charge reads: “That you, Otunba Kehinde Dodo and others now at large on 13 June, 2011 at Plot 9B, Emmanuel Abimbola Cole Street, Lekki Phase 1, in Eti Osa, within the Lagos Magisterial District did impersonate as a lawyer and a legal practitioner, forged and presented fake documents of a parcel of land at Plot 29, Block 78, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos to steal N1 million, property of Daniel Onwu.”
The accused pleaded guilty to the charge. When it was read to him in the open court.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. M. O. A Ogunsanya has adjourned the matter for fact and sentence till 14 February 2012 for facts and sentence and she directed that the accused be remanded in prison custody till the adjourned date.
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