IKEJA, LAGOS — The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced Abdulrahman Lawal Raji to 15 years imprisonment for engineering a N26 million vehicle procurement fraud.
Justice Ismail Ijelu delivered the verdict on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, after concluding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had successfully proved its case against the defendant beyond any reasonable doubt.
The Phantom Vehicle Deal
The road to Raji’s conviction began between March 20 and March 21, 2023, when he and an accomplice, Abdulrahman Lawal (who remains at large), swindled a citizen, Olaide Ibidapo, out of N26 million.
The convict had falsely represented the amount as the full purchase price for a 2022 Toyota Hilux utility vehicle. According to EFCC investigators, Raji vanished with the funds, failing to deliver the vehicle or refund the victim.
Following a petition, operatives of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 tracked down and arraigned Raji on November 9, 2023, on an amended two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences.
The Charge Sheet:
“ABDULRAHMAN LAWAL RAJI and ABDULRAHMAN LAWAL (at large), between 20th March, 2023 and 21 March, 2023 at Lagos… with intent to defraud, obtained a gross sum of N26,000,000 from Olaide Ibidapo by falsely representing it was the purchase price for a Toyota Hilux 2022 car, which representation you knew to be false.”
Legal Battle and Judgment
Raji initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, prompting a full-blown trial. To secure a conviction, EFCC prosecuting counsel Ebuka Okongwu called four key witnesses and tendered a mountain of documentary evidence, all of which the court admitted as exhibits. The defence team put forward two witnesses in a bid to absolve Raji, but their testimonies failed to sway the court.
In his final judgment, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution’s evidence was watertight.
The judge sentenced Raji to:
- 10 years imprisonment on count one.
- 5 years imprisonment on count two.
Both sentences carry no option of a fine and will run concurrently, meaning the convict will serve a total of 10 years behind bars.
Furthermore, Justice Ijelu ordered the immediate restitution of the N26,000,000 to the victim, Olaide Ibidapo, ensuring the fraudster does not profit from his crime.
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