A Lagos-based lawyer, Victor Azubike Awah, has been arraigned before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, over an alleged ₦27 million land fraud.
Awah, who appeared in court on Wednesday, was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his firm, Sparkan Ives Limited, on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, using forged documents, and issuing a dud cheque.
According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed between October 2024 and February 2025 in Lagos. The anti-graft agency accused Awah of obtaining ₦27 million from Mrs. Onwuekwe Chioma Genevieve under the guise of selling a plot of land purportedly available for purchase.
The prosecution alleged that the transaction was fraudulent, stating that Awah acted with intent to deceive the buyer. His actions, the EFCC said, contravened Section 1(1) and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
When the charges were read, Awah pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Prosecution counsel, Mr. A. M. Dambuwa, requested the court to set a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending trial.
Awah, who appeared without legal representation, informed the court that he had already filed a bail application on his own behalf.
Justice O. A. Okunuga adjourned the matter to December 17 and 18, 2025, for hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial. The judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s custody until the next hearing.
