- Court remands another suspect for telling lies
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police in Osun State have arrested a herdsman, Muhammed Olanrewaju, for allegedly fleecing an investor of the sum of N73 million.
The suspect was dragged before an Osogbo Chief Magistrate’s Court for fraud and theft allegations.
Olanrewaju, aged 32, was accused of fraudulently obtaining the sum of N17 million from one Bola Oladunjoye in Osogbo between 2020 and 2023 under the pretext of purchasing cows for him and herding them, which he failed to do.
Police prosecutor, John Idoko, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, informed the court that the accused person, within the same period, also converted 72 cows worth N56 million belonging to Oladunjoye, to his own use.
The charge read, “That you Muhammed Olanrewaju, between August 2020 and May 2023, at Aganga area, Osogbo, Osun State, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did with intent to defraud, unlawfully obtain the sum of N17,000,000:00 from one Bola Oladunjoye under the pretence of using same to purchase cows for him and herding them, 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.
“On the same date, time, place and in the Magisterial District, you (Olanrewaju) did unlawfully convert to your own use, seventy two cows valued N56,000,000:00 belonging to Bola Oladunjoye 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.”
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the allegations. The defence counsel, Abdulateef Imran, applied for Olanrewaju’s bail and assured the court that the defendant would be available to stand his trail.
Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre and adjourned till September 29 for ruling on bail application.
Another suspect, an onion dealer, Tahiru Hassan, was remanded by an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court for allegedly lying to the court that he did not understand either English or Yoruba language when he was arraigned.
Hassan, who was accused of defrauding an investor of the sum of N72,000, claimed that he only understoodHausa language.
Drama ensued while the court was making efforts to get someone who understood Hausa to interpret the charges to the suspect.
While the court was waiting to get an interpreter, a lawyer, Kehinde Adepoju, who had earlier conversed with the suspect before arraignment, later informed the court that Hassan understood Yoruba language.
Infuriated by the discovery, Magistrate Oyindamola Daramola said the arraignment would not take place again.
She ordered that the suspect be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre till September 15 when the case would be freshly mentioned.
The Police had dragged Hassan, aged 25, to court and accused him of obtaining the sum of N72,000 from one Kabiru Waziri sometime in the month of February, 2023 under the pretence of supplying onion and ‘ayu’ to the complainant, a representation he knew to be false.
