BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police in Osun State have arrested one Aladesanmi Taye, a 36-year-old man who claimed to be working as gateman at a filling station in Osogbo, for allegedly conspiring with the station’s manager to defraud a man who was seeking cash.
The victim, identified as Abiodun Gideon, was said to have transferred the sum of N1.5million to the duo for them to convert it to cash for him during the cash scarcity period in March this year, but the suspects allegedly made away with a huge part of the money after returning some amount to the owner.
It was gathered that the duo paid about N900,000 of the money in cash to Gideon but spent the rest. They were said to have deserted work and bolted away afterwards.
Luck however ran out against the gateman as he was arrested by the Police recently.
He confessed to collecting the money from Gideon while speaking with The Point.
Taye said, “Yes, we collected the sum of N1.5million from him (Gideon). He sent the money to my account and I immediately transfered the sum of N1.1 million to the manager because he was the one that would prepare the cash after each day’s sales and give to him. I never knew that the manager spent part of the money he was supposed to give to the man.
“I kept the N400,000 thinking I would use it for a business, then pay the man back in cash. I can’t even explain how I spent the money and there was nothing tangible I used it to achieve.
I have asked him to give me time that I will run around and pay him the remaining since the manager is nowhere to be found.”
The Police arraigned Taye before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of stealing.
The charge read, “That you Aladesanmi Taye and one other at large on the 6th day of March, 2023 at Omobolanle Area, Osogbo in Osogbo Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of criminal Code CAP 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You, Taye, and one other at large on the same date and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district did steal the sum of Six Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (N610,000:00) only, property of one Abiodun Gideon and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 383 and punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code CAP 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”
The defendant pleaded guilty to the allegations. However, police prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode, sought an adjournment to enable him prepare for the facts of the case.
Magistrate M. A. Olatunji ordered that Taye be remanded in a correctional facility and adjourned the matter till May 31, 2023 for presentation of facts.
