Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from the Enugu Zonal Directorate have arrested a man, Ifeanyi Mba, for allegedly defrauding a buyer of N10 million in a land transaction in Enugu State.
The arrest followed a petition submitted to the commission by a complainant who accused the suspect of collecting money for a piece of land that later turned out to have serious ownership issues.
According to the complainant, he paid Mba the sum of N10 million to purchase a plot of land said to be located at Plot 677, Owo/Premier Layout in the Ogui Nike community in Enugu.
The problem reportedly started when the buyer later visited the land and discovered that some unknown people had already started construction work on the same property.
Worried about the development, the complainant said he contacted the suspect to ask why construction was taking place on the land he had already paid for.
According to the petitioner, the suspect told him that he later found out the land allegedly belonged to the government and not to a private owner as earlier claimed.
The complainant further alleged that after this explanation, several attempts were made to get a refund of the N10 million he paid. However, the suspect reportedly stopped responding to calls and became unreachable.
Following the complaint, the EFCC began an investigation into the matter.
According to the commission, preliminary findings from its investigation showed that there were inconsistencies in the description of the land that was sold to the buyer.
The anti-graft agency explained that there is no government-acquired layout known as Plot 677 Owo/Premier Layout. It also stated that Owo Layout and Premier Layout are two different layouts and should not be confused as one location.
Based on these findings, the EFCC moved in and arrested the suspect for further investigation.
The commission added that the suspect will be charged to court after the investigation into the alleged fraud is completed.
Authorities also advised members of the public to always verify land documents and ownership before making payments for property in order to avoid falling victim to fraudulent land deals.
