Lagos man jailed 22 years for N28m property fraud
A Lagos State High Court has sentenced Chidi Nwaya to 22 years in prison for defrauding Anthony Mbachu of N28 million in a failed property deal. The judgment, delivered by Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay on September 4, 2024, found Nwaya guilty of obtaining money by false pretence and stealing. The case involved a property on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, which Nwaya falsely claimed he had authority to sell. The court ruled that Nwaya deliberately deceived the buyer and converted the funds for personal use.
What happened
- Chidi Nwaya was convicted for obtaining N28m by false pretence and stealing after a failed 2012 property transaction.
- The court sentenced him to 15 years for false pretence and seven years for stealing, both to run concurrently, on September 4, 2024.
- Nwaya falsely represented himself as having authority to sell a family property and induced Anthony Mbachu to pay in instalments.
- Despite receiving the full amount, Nwaya never transferred the property or refunded the money, and documents prepared for the sale were found to have discrepancies.
- The judge dismissed Nwaya’s defence and struck out a forgery charge, ruling that the evidence showed deliberate deception.
