BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
For allegedly defrauding his female lovers and impersonating a lawyer, a 31-year-old man, Rawlings Lawrence Amadi, has been arrested by men of the Osun State Police Command.
Amadi was said to have fraudulently obtained some amount of money from two of his lovers.
It was gathered that Amadi, a native of Nkwerre in Rivers State, living in Osogbo, Osun State capital, was arrested by the police after disappearing for some days.
The police indicated that the suspect obtained the sum of N1.5million from one lady simply identified as Ruth and N380, 000 from another lady namely Lucy.
However, on November 5, 2022, Amadi reportedly ran out of luck as some police officers stormed his Akinlade Street, Dada Estate, Osogbo residence to apprehend him. Attempts by him to escape were said to have failed.
A Police source said that Amadi broke the ceiling of his rented apartment and hid himself in the roof in an attempt to evade arrest.
After investigation, the police arraigned him before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo on six counts bordering on fraud, impersonation, falsification of documents and breaking of ceiling.
He was said to have stolen the sum of N1, 526,000, property of a loan company, Gentpancy Ventures, in Osogbo between 13th and 30th May, 2022 through one of his victims, who is a staff of the company.
Police prosecutor, Idoko John, informed the court that Amadi forged the seal of the Nigerian Bar Association in a ploy to dupe members of the public.
The charge against him read that “You, Rawlings Lawrence Amadi, and one other at large, between 13th and 30th May, 2022, at Gentpancy Ventures, Old Garage area, Osogbo, did steal the sum of N1,526,000 only, property of Gentpancy Ventures.
“You did falsify the documents of Gentpancy Ventures for the purpose of defrauding the company.
“Sometime in year 2021, you did forge the seal of the Nigerian Bar Association for the purpose of deceiving members of the public.
“You, Rawlings Lawrence Amadi, on the 5th of November, 2022 at about 10pm at number 12B, Akinlade Street, Dada Estate, Osogbo, did maliciously damage the ceiling and windows of the house of one Eunice Afolabi valued at N50,000 only.
“You did parade yourself as a Barrister at Law in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Police prosecutor, John Idoko, informed the court that the defendant committed offences contrary to sections 383, 465 and punishable under sections 422, 390(9), 467, 451 and 108 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
Amadi pleaded not guilty to the counts.
Magistrate A. K. Ajala granted him bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in the same amount. One of the sureties, the judge said, must be a civil servant.
The matter was adjourned till December 7, 2022 for mention.
