Real estate agent jailed five years for defrauding accommodation seekers

An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Isabo, on Friday sentenced a 31-year-old real estate agent, Sunday Ikoni, to five years imprisonment for defrauding nine accommodation seekers of N3.9 million.

The convict was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on fraud, stealing, obtaining money under false pretence and unlawful conversion, to which he pleaded guilty.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. M Somefun, noted that all evidences presented in court proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty of the charges.

Somefun, thereafter, sentenced Ikoni to five years imprisonment with an option of N250,000 fine in addition the restitution of the whole amount collected from the complainants.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP Olakunle Shonibare, told the court that Ikoni committed the offences within September at different locations, including Ibara Housing Estate, in Abeokuta.

Shonibare said that the convict obtained sundry amounts from different people, including Mr. Mark Taiwo (N750,000), Mr Odesomi Segundo (N500,000), Mohammed Bello (490,000) and six others with the amount totalling N3.9 million.

He explained that Ikoni neither provided the accommodation he promised the people nor refund their money, but instead, converted the fund to personal use.

The prosecutor added that the offences contravened Sections 419 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Law of Ogun State 2006.