Lawyer Demands Developer’s Arrest, Alleges Fraud

An Akure-based legal practitioner, Mr Ola Dan Ola, has dragged the Managing Director of Medaville Building Construction Company Limited, Otunba Ademola Akin- Benson, before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly defrauding his client.

The lawyer, who urged the anti-graft commission to arrest and investigate the housing developer, alleged that Akin-Benson collected a sum of N2 million from his client, Dr S. Odedina, for an allocation in the model housing units located at Alagbaka Area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, to the client.

The petition, dated August 31, 2022, which was made available to our correspondent in Akure, was titled, ‘Petition against obtaining money under false pretence, fraudulent conversion, economic sabotage and financial misappropriation.’

The lawyer, in the petition, alleged that his client had moved some building materials worth N10 milion to the site, saying that the materials had been allegedly taken over by the suspect. The lawyer also alleged that Akin-Benson introduced the project to his client in a letter he (Akin-Benson) personally signed, claiming to be an MD of a construction company having collaboration with the Federal Government

The petition read in part, “The suspect further claimed in the letter that he had collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and Federal Housing Authority Homes Ltd. Under this pretence, the prime suspect in person of Otunba Ademola Akin-Benson fraudulently obtained from our client the sum of N2 million.

“According to our client, Otunba Ademola Akin Benson claimed to have for sale and allocation model housing units located opposite Police Headquarters (S.I.B) Alagbaka, Akure.

Benson’s claim of affiliation with federal government agencies and ministries persuaded our client to part with an initial sum of N10,000 application fee. This initial deposit was made by our client vide e-transfer to the account details as supplied by Akinbenson.”

“It is our brief that on October 7, 2015, our client was also defrauded by Otunba Akinbenson to the tune of N2 million. This sum represents the purchase of a housing unit at Alagbaka as promoted and guaranteed by Otunba Akinbenson. Our client used his First Bank account to transfer the said sum of N2,000,000 into the suspect’s Zenith Bank.

It added, “The grand criminal plot and fraudulent intention of Otunba Akinbenson became exposed when the suspect, with the use of hoodlums and bulldozer, destroyed all building materials deposited at the allocated site by our client. Materials worth millions of naira were either destroyed or criminally converted by the suspect.”

When contacted on the telephone, the Managing Director of the Medavile Building Construction Company Limited, Otunba Ademola Akin- Benson, denied the allegation, saying he was not involved in any fraudulent practice in the housing business.

He said, “ I didn’t defraud anybody. If anybody has issues with me, such a person should come to our office and meet me so that we can discuss and sort things out. Two million naira is nothing to me. If the person is sure of himself that I owed him N2 million, let him come over to our office with genuine evidence of payment and we will pay him back .

“He should go and report at the police station or appropriate quarters and they would investigate it. Let the person that made the allegation come down to our office with evidence and we will resolve the matter.”