BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Members of a cooperative group called Okinni (Egbedore) Afenifere CICU Limited, Okinni, Osun State, have been thrown into distress after the manager of the society allegedly made away with their contributions totalling N8,168,853.
The female manager of the contributory company, Mrs Bolanle Eniatimo, was accused of defrauding contributors by stealing the money from the company’s account without their approval.
Findings by The Point revealed that Eniatimo, aged 49, was acting as the treasurer for the group and that she secretly withdrew the huge sum from the account and gave it out to some loan-seekers with the intention of getting interests on the loan for herself when they are repaid.
It was gathered that those who borrowed the money failed to pay back as bargained and that some of them bolted away with the cooperative society’s money.
When it was time for the society to audit its account, members were shocked to discover an almost empty account as their contributions had been allegedly moved out by Eniatimo.
However, members dragged the woman to the Police and she was detained at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Force. After preliminary findings, Eniatimo was granted administrative bail.
Eventually, the suspect was arraigned recently at a Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Osogbo, by the Police on offences bordering on conspiracy, intent to defraud, and theft, among other charges slammed against her.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Olusegun, informed the court that Eniatimo conspired with others at large to commit the offences between year 2012 and 2017.
“That you Bolanle Eniatimo and others at large did with intent to defraud, and as the manager of the company, unlawfully obtained the sum of Eight Million, One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Eight and Fifty-Three Naira, Forty-One Kobo (#8,168,853:41k) from the company – Okinni (Egbedore) Afenifere CICU Limited, ably represented by Alhaji Yusuf Amuda Adeyemi, under the pretence of giving out same as loans to its customers, a pretence you know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you and others, now at large, on the same date, time, place, did steal the sum of N8,168,853:41k, property of Okinni (Egbedore) Afenifere CICU Limited, Okinni, Osun State, ably represented by Alhaji Yusuf Amuda Adeyemi, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390(6)(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002,” some of the counts read.
Olusegun further said that the defendant intended to pervert, prevent or defeat the course of justice by jumping administrative bail for four years before she was arrested and brought to court.
The charge read in addition, “That you Bolanle Eniatimo on the 29th day of September 2019, at about 4:00pm at the Area Commander’s office, Osogbo, did with intent to prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice, jumped bail after being granted police administrative bail in a bond dated 29th September 2019, with a promise to make yourself available any time you are needed until the case is finally disposed of but you failed to do so, having been warned not to do so, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 126(1) of the Criminal Code Law Cap 34 Vol. II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you on the 20th day of June, 2023, at about 2:00pm at the Osun State Police Headquarters, Ring Road, Osogbo, Osun State, did with intent to annoy the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, a person you know is employed in the public service of Nigeria, did give him information that one Inspector Jimoh Muwaliu, attached to the State CID, Osogbo, has been threatening to arrest you, an information you know or believe to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 125A of the Criminal Code Law Cap 34 Vol. II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.”
Eniatimo pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Her counsel, T. S. Adegboyega urged the court to grant the defendant bail in most liberal term and assured the court that she would provide reliable persons as sureties.
But, the prosecutor objected, saying that the defendant would abuse bail privilege because she refused to appear at the police area command after being granted administrative bail.
However, Chief Magistrate A. K. Ajala granted Eniatimo bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in the same amount. He said one of the sureties must be a blood relation of Eniatimo while the other shall be a landed property owner within Osun State and that the property must be over N10 million in value.
The matter was adjourned till July 19 for hearing.
