The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared a manhunt for a lawyer and two bank managers (names withheld) for allegedly duping a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig. Gen Mobolaji Johnson, of the sum of N135m.

A source at the EFCC said the lawyer had offered a property belonging to the former Governor for lease without his approval.

The source said the lawyer connived with the two bank managers to clear a cheque issued on a phoney lease agreement by opening a fake fix deposit account in the name of the former governor.

The lawyer was said to have leased a property situated at No. 182 A Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, to Stallion Motors Limited in 2008 in the sum of N270m but later offered N182m by claiming that the landlord instructed him to offer it to the firm in place of the former one.

It was stated that the company paid 50 per cent of the agreed sum of N270m to the lawyer after negotiations which was N135m, with an agreement to pay the balance after taking possession of the property.

The source said the company could not take possession long after making the first payment only to realise that the deal was fraudulent.

It was stated further that the lawyer pleaded with the company to refund the money to them with interest and issued some post-dated cheques on an agreed sum of N200m which did not yield any benefit to the company.

The embattled lawyer was said to have pleaded with the company to withhold presenting the cheques even though allegedly failed to make an alternative arrangement to refund the money.

Investigations revealed that the EFCC is after the two bank manager for alleged collusion with the lawyer to cash the cheque issued in the name of the governor.

It was further gathered that the former governor had told EFCC operatives investigating the financial crime that he did not give any instruction to the lawyer to act as an agent to him on the said property.

The former governor was also said to have said the money was not paid into his account.

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that the commission was investigating the alleged fraud.

“I am aware that the commission is investigating that case,” he said

You declare people wanted and their names are withheld yet you expect me to take you seriously?