Ex-convict jailed three years over N12 million theft
By Adebisi Onanuga An Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos yesterday sentenced an ex-convict, Oluokun Adekola, to three years’ imprisonment for stealing N12 million. Adekola was arraigned before Justice Rahman Oshodi
By Adebisi Onanuga
An Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos yesterday sentenced an ex-convict, Oluokun Adekola, to three years’ imprisonment for stealing N12 million.
Adekola was arraigned before Justice Rahman Oshodi on March 16, this year, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, on a one-count amended charge of stealing.
According to the charge, the defendant, alongside others still at large, last year in Lagos, collaborated to conceal and disguise the origin of N12 million paid into his account.
The funds were allegedly part of a larger N3,091,441,849 fraudulently obtained from accounts domiciled with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) through unauthorised access and mobile banking fraud.
The money was said to have been withdrawn and converted to cash through Point of Sale (PoS) agents.
Following his arrangements, Adekola pleaded guilty to the charge.
Further proceedings into the matter revealed that the defendant had a prior conviction.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State, had on July 23, 2020, sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment for defrauding a Taiwanese national of $22,300.
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During sentencing, prosecution counsel, E. S. Okongwu, tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the July 23, 2020 judgment as evidence, with suit no. FHC/IB/32c/2018 which the court admitted as Exhibit 1. The prosecution also sought restitution of N3.5 million to the nominal complainant.
In his allocutus, defence counsel, Fabian Nwaforji, pleaded for leniency for the defendant.
Nwaforji told the court that the convict was remorseful and had spent four years and six months in prison.
He urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Oshodi noted that the offence constituted money laundering and emphasised the defendant’s status as a repeat offender.
He, however, acknowledged the defendant’s early guilty plea and willingness to make restitution.
Justice Oshodi sentenced the convict to three years’ imprisonment and ordered him to remit N3.5 million to FCMB within three months.
