The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt zonal office, on Thursday, January 21, 2021, arraigned Margret Ogolo before Justice M. L. Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for fraudulent land sale to the tune of N14,800,000( Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira ).

She was docked on one- count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.

The charge read: “That you Margret Ogolo sometimes in 2013 at Port Harcourt Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira only (N14,800,000.00) from Mr. Adeya Jacob Adeya on the pretext of selling a land situated beside Ecobank Plc, opposite Community Secondary school Alode, Eleme, Rivers State, a pretext which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

She pleaded “not guilty” to the charge when it was read to her.

In view of her plea, prosecuting counsel C. O. Oni, prayed the court for a short adjournment to allow for commencement of trial. However, defense counsel, C. E. Francis, orally applied for the bail of the defendant.

Justice Abubakar granted the defendant bail in the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) and one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a Civil Servant of not less than Grade Level 10. The matter was adjourned till March 1, 2021

Ogolo’s trouble started when a petitioner alleged that she offered four plots of land to him in the sum of N14.8million in 1998. Ogolo, a widow, reportedly claimed the said landed property belonged to her late husband.

However, when the petitioner made a bid to take possession of the property, the real owner appeared and forbade the petitioner to have any access to the property.

Every attempt to get Ogolo refund the payment made for the land proved abortive.