Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, January 12, 2026, opened its case against Murtala Adebayo with the presentation of its first prosecution witness in an alleged N19 million land fraud trial before the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja. The proceedings, presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi, marked a key stage in the prosecution’s effort to establish allegations of obtaining money and property by false pretence against the defendant.
Adebayo is standing trial on a three-count charge following his re-arraignment by the EFCC, Lagos Zonal Directorate 1. The charges border on obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. The defendant had earlier pleaded not guilty when he was first arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the same court, a plea he maintained upon re-arraignment.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that between 2015 and 2019, Adebayo fraudulently obtained various sums of money and other valuables from the nominal complainant, Abiodun Gafar Ademolade, under the guise of selling parcels of land in different parts of Lagos State. The EFCC alleged that the transactions were deliberately structured to mislead the complainant and induce him to part with substantial funds and assets for lands that were either unavailable or never legitimately offered for sale.
Ademolade, a businessman, testified as the first prosecution witness. In his evidence before the court, he disclosed a close personal and family relationship with the defendant, stating that Adebayo is his father-in-law and also the family head, known in local parlance as the Olórí αΊΈbí of Ajah. He told the court that he met the defendant about 14 years ago and developed a relationship built on trust, which later extended into business dealings.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, I. O. Daramola, the witness narrated how Adebayo encouraged him to invest in land transactions, presenting himself as someone with authority, influence, and access to land opportunities. Ademolade said he was convinced by these representations and agreed to participate in what he believed were genuine real estate investments.
The witness told the court that his first payment was a sum of N500,000, which he made in cash in the presence of the defendant’s secretary, identified as Ahmed, also known as DPO, and another individual, Godwin Richard. According to him, this initial transaction paved the way for subsequent payments as the defendant offered him three plots of land at Ogombo, Ajah, Lagos, for a total consideration of N4.5 million.
Ademolade stated that he made several cash payments toward the Ogombo land deal over time, often in the presence of the same individuals. He said receipts were issued to him for the payments, reinforcing his belief that the transaction was legitimate and properly documented. He further told the court that Adebayo later introduced him to another land deal involving 18 plots of land at Ayegbemi Village, Ibeju-Lekki.
According to the witness, the Ayegbemi transaction involved a mix of bank transfers and cash payments, which he made largely to Godwin Richard, acting on the verbal instructions of the defendant. He explained that Adebayo later confirmed these payments, assuring him that everything was in order. In addition to cash, Ademolade said he handed over three vehicles to the defendant as part of the transaction, namely two Toyota Camry cars and one Honda Accord, which he valued at N9 million.
The prosecution alleged that the total value of the funds and assets obtained from the complainant amounted to about N19 million. Ademolade told the court that despite receiving receipts and deeds of agreement for the lands and the vehicles, he later became suspicious and decided to physically inspect the sites of the purported land purchases.
He testified that upon visiting the locations, he discovered that the lands had either already been sold to other parties or were not available for sale at all. According to him, further verification at the Alausa Land Registry revealed that the properties were not legitimately on offer and that the transactions did not align with official records.
The witness told the court that it was at that point he realized that the documents issued to him were fake. He described the receipts and agreements as “Gbagirogi,” a colloquial term meaning counterfeit or forged documents. He added that one of the red flags was the absence of proper legal details on the documents, including the contact information of the lawyer purported to have prepared them.
Ademolade said he initially attempted to resolve the matter amicably through family channels, given the close relationship between him and the defendant. However, he told the court that these efforts failed to yield any meaningful resolution. As a result, he decided to petition the EFCC through his lawyer, prompting the criminal investigation that led to the charges now before the court.
During the proceedings, the prosecution tendered several documents in evidence, including receipts for the three plots of land at Ogombo, deeds of agreement relating to those lands, documents concerning the 18 plots at Ayegbemi Village, and receipts for the vehicles allegedly handed over to the defendant. Justice Oshodi admitted all the documents in evidence after they were properly identified and no successful objection was raised by the defence.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Bamidele Ogundele, the witness acknowledged that he received a sum of N4.5 million from the defendant in relation to the Ogombo land. He also confirmed that most of his payments were made to Godwin Richard, based on the defendant’s verbal instructions, which he said were later confirmed by Adebayo.
The witness admitted that receipts were issued for the payments and that bank statements reflecting some of the transactions had been admitted in evidence. When questioned about a N30 million demand letter previously issued through a law firm, Ademolade explained that the letter was part of a civil claim and not the basis of the criminal prosecution. He clarified that the criminal case was founded on the alleged fraudulent receipts and representations made by the defendant.
The defence also sought to highlight the family relationship between the parties and the civil dimensions of the dispute, but the witness maintained that the matter went beyond a mere civil disagreement, insisting that he was deliberately deceived into parting with his money and assets.
After the conclusion of the day’s proceedings, Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the case to March 3 and 4, 2026, for the continuation of trial. The court is expected to hear further testimony from prosecution witnesses as the EFCC seeks to prove its case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
The case adds to a growing list of fraud-related prosecutions before special offences courts in Lagos, as authorities continue to clamp down on alleged financial crimes in the real estate sector. As the trial progresses, the court will determine whether the evidence presented supports the allegations against Adebayo or whether the defence can successfully challenge the prosecution’s case.
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