The Nnobi Chief Magistrate Court in Anambra State’s Idemili South local government area heard a distressing account from Miss Victoria Mbachu, an orphan, about how her boyfriend, Mr. Olufemi Salako from the Republic of Benin, took N8.3 million out of the N10 million she earned from selling a property in Nnobi.
Salako, a bricklayer, had been living with Mbachu since 2018, and they share two children together. The property was sold to Mr. Bonaventure Ezekwenna based in the USA in 2021. After the sale, Salako convinced Mbachu to buy an incomplete bungalow in Ogun State for N2.8 million and further swindled her of an additional N5.5 million.
Salako and Chijioke Okaa, a native doctor, are facing two charges of defrauding Mbachu by deceiving her into handing over her property documents with the promise of building her a house.
Mbachu tearfully recounted in court, “In 2020, Femi brought Chijioke Okaa to me… agreed to sell the land for N10 million… he did not pay… someone brought Bonaventure Ezekwenna… sold it… signed the documents… Femi was aware.”
She explained, “Femi insisted we leave Nnobi… forced me and the children… land at Ota, Ogun State… paid N2.8 million… asked for N4 million to complete… withdrew N1 million… N500,000… refused to show me the house… doubted if he bought the house.”
Mbachu noted, “Another thing that surprised me was that when we discovered that the police were tracking me, Femi suggested that we should escape to Benin Republic because, according to him, that is actually his country, and I refused.”
Bonaventure Ezekwenna testified that he involved Salako before paying for the land, and materials he assembled for construction were destroyed or stolen.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Ken Nwoye, adjourned further hearing to August 18.
