EFCC arraigns siblings for alleged land fraud

Two brothers, Cypril Nwalaezi, and Smart Nwalaezi, have been arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice S. D. Pam of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt for property fraud.

According to a statement posted on the EFCC’s X handle on Friday, the duo was arraigned on Thursday on an amended five-count charge, bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretense to the tune of N3,200,000.

Count two read, “That you, Cypril Nwalaezi on or about the 17th October, 2022 at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud and by false pretence that you had valid and subsisting title to a parcel of land, situated at Umuasukpo Farm Road, in Igbo-Etche in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, measuring 1150.805 and 1295.771 square metres.

“You also induced Mr Franklin Nwachukwu to purchase the same and obtained the sum of N2,750,000.00) from Mr Franklin Nwachukwu and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) & (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Another counts charge read, “That you, Smart Chinedu Nwalaezi on or about the third day of November, 2022 at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud and by false pretense that you had valid and subsisting title to a parcel of land, situated at Umuasukpo Farm Road, lgbo-Etche in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, measuring an area of 467.912 sq/m, induced Mr. Franklin Nwachukwu to purchase the same and obtained the sum of N450,000 from Mr Franklin Nwachukwu and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) & (c )of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

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Both Cyril and Smart pleaded “not guilty,” following which prosecution counsel, C. Okorie, asked the court for a trial date and for the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while the counsel to the first defendant, R. O. Agbabo informed the court of her subsisting bail application for her client and prayed the court to grant him bail to enable him prepare for his trial.

Similarly, counsel to the second defendant, M. M. Nweke, informed the court of his bail application for his client and pleaded with the court to grant him bail on liberal terms to enable him to prepare for his trial.

“Justice Pam granted bail to Cypril Nwalaezi, the first defendant in the sum of N500,000 and a surety in like sum, who must have a landed property and must reside in Port Harcourt, while he granted bail to the second defendant, Smart, in the sum of N50,000 and a surety in like sum and ordered that defendant be remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.

“He adjourned the matter to September 17, 2026 for commencement of trial. The defendants’ road to the dock began sometime in June, 2024, when their victim, Nwachukwu, petitioned the commission, alleging a case of fraud, having discovered in December, 2023 that the same properties he bought have been resold by the defendants to other buyers.

“An investigation revealed that the defendants conspired and resold both properties for N3, 200, 000 to other buyers,” the statement added.