Mallam Hamisu Magaji, Global convener Gawuna/Garo Ambassador on Saturday said that his attention has been drawn to a report circulating in some sections of the media over an alleged case of criminal trespass, conversion and intimidation filed against him by one Yusuf Ibrahim a resident of Ibadan in Oyo state.
In a press briefing held on Saturday, Hamisu Magaji said the report erroneously claimed that he had denied Yusuf Ibrahim access to a property he allegedly sold to him at the sum of N46m and refused to refund the money to him.
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He also said the claims were far detached from the truth of the matter and do not in any way reflect the actual version of the events that transpired.
Magaji similarly said the truth of the matter was that he had instructed his former lawyer Ibrahim Umar Abere to engage a negotiation in respect of sale of on of his houses in Sharada Federal Housing Estate, (FHA)- Phase II.
“Mr. Abere had sometime in June 2022 informed me that my house was overvalued and that i should consider a lesser amount, which I vehemently rejected, I then later gave a final ceiling value of my property for the sum of N40milion and Abere also informed me that somebody has offered to buy the house N40 million which I agreed,”
“After the buyer paid the money to my ex lawyer Abere, he dishonestly transfered the sum of N37,250,000 to my account.”
Magaji alleged that on getting underpaid amount, he immediately challenged Abere over the allegation of his misdeed on the missing balance of N2,750,000, which he failed to remit.
He however alleged that in the cause of his investigation, he realized that the house was actually sold at the sum of N46 million instead of N40 million.
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” Thereafter, I immediately wrote a cheque of N37,750,000 million and dropped it at my ex lawyer’s office and informed him that I was no longer interested in selling of my house,”
“A week later, Abere rushed and transfered into my account the N2,7500, 000 balance payment that he had earlier withheld against my will,” Magaji futher alleged.
He explained that the alleged clear breath of trust by Abere led him to disengage his service, and also demanded the returned of all his documents that were in his custody, alleging that instead for him to oblige, started to threaten, blackmail and intimidate him as well as revealing his legal secret to his adversaries.
“Therefore, I’m appealing to these Journalists and their platforms to promptly retract the false and defamatory claims they have published against me in the interest of justice and fairness.”
However, when contacted Barrister Ibrahim Umar Abere to hear his own side of the story, denied all the allegations, he said Hamisu Magaji lied against him.
“Hamisu Magaji instructed me to sell his property at sharada for N40,000,000 net, so we got a buyer willing to pay N46m and he was duly informed even before the draft of the agreement in my office,”
“The money was paid and I gave the agents the N6 million based on agreement. My charges was made known to Hamisu Magaji to be 10% of the 40 million, but he refused to pay and we dragged till I stopped at N2,250,000 and he stopped at N1,000,000.”
Barrister Abare further said, he was on able to transfer the money through his bank account on 11th June and 12th June because it was public holiday.
He also said he then transferred N37,750,000 to him on 14th June, and according to him, Magaji was not happy, so he left him.
The Lawyer alleged that Magaji went to the agents and asked them, how they shared the N6 million one of them told him that Abare was given N3m.
He said he asked him to come with the person
“They came and I swore with the Holy Quran that I didn’t collect a penny from them, and the man told him that it wasn’t true that i was given any money. On that note, I then asked him to transfer back the N3 million he talked about so that I can give it to Hamisu Magaji who is complaining that his money supposed to be 40 million. The man transferred N2,250,000 which I sent to Hamisu Magaji on the 17th of June to complete his N40 million. With this payment, Hamisu Magaji took the buyer and introduced him to the neighbors as the new owner of the house.
“But there was a tenant in the house who was stubborn and we had to used the court to removed him from the house so that we can give the buyer Yusuf Abubakar his house.” The Lawyer explained.
He alledged that Hamisu Magaji came to the court and testified that he has sold the property to the new owner and that as at then the property does not belong to him again.
“After this, we had a problem with Hamisu Magaji, one of which is that he told me he wanted to rescind the sale of the house which I objected since it is illegal having collect money from the buyer for months.”
Abere continued that they disagreed on that and other issues that led him to said he no more want to work with him as his lawyer.
“I then confronted him with my outstanding bill of charges which he refused to pay, so I withheld his files. A time came when the tenant left the house and Hamisu Magaji collected the keys himself and kept them refusing to hand over to Yusuf Abubakar who bought the house.
“I called to tell him and he was raining abuses on me that he didn’t sell his house to Yusuf. I reported him to Sheikh AbdulWahhab Abdullah as his neighbor who directed him to go and give Yusuf Abubakar his house, but he refused.”
“Sheikh AbdulWahhab is still alive you can further contact him as well,” Barrister Umar explained.
He alleged that Magaji used blocks to cover the space of the gate, and after removing the gate he left for another destination.
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“I then told Yusuf to resort to court, where he filed a direct criminal complain which was directed to the Commissioner of Police Kano for investigation.
“His account was frozen and that was how he was arrested and taken to court.
” He spent some days on detention at the police CID and Prison as he refused to give the house to the owner and also hold on to N40 million to him paid by the owner of the house.”
He added that Magaji is on bail and the case is still going on before Chief Magistrate Talatu Makama, when he made this press briefing against the rules of court.
