The manager of Betty Distribution Company, Ayetoro, Osogbo, Osun State, Isaiah Toluwalope Oke and the auditor, Joseph Babatunde Fabunmi, have been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force in the state for allegedly stealing the company’s goods and money worth over N27 million.
The Police accused Oke of using the spare keys into the warehouse of the company that deals with sales of popular food consumables, carted away some food items and sold them to customers.
Oke was said to have conspired with Fabunmi and others now at large, stole the spare keys to the warehouse and carted away the goods.
The Point gathered that the manager committed the crime between year 2020 and March 6, 2024 at the company.
Fabunmi, who was to audit the company’s account in Osogbo, allegedly covered Oke’s alleged offences until the management discovered that the warehouse had almost been emptied and there was no commensurate money in the company’s account to show for it.
The Investigation Police Officer, Inspector Oyejide Kazeem of the Police Anti-Vice Intelligence Squad, Okefia, Osogbo, Osun State Police Command, said “The above mentioned two suspects conspired together and used the opportunity of their posts in offices of the aforesaid company and stole spare key to ware house of the company, after gaining access therein, they stole house commodities such as bags of semovita, rice, Gino tomatoes, Dangote sugar, Golden penny, Mama gold semovita, Gino max chicken, Gino quarry, Gino Thyme, Mr. Chef salt, Ayoola poundo yam, Bama mayonnaise, indomie chicken, worth Twenty Seven million, Three hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira Eighty Five Kobo (N27,369,829:85k) and sold all to unknown customers, thereafter converted the money to their own use. However, the two suspects confessed to the crime.”
It was gathered that during investigation, the company and police were able to recover about N9 million from the suspects.
Nonetheless, the duo were dragged before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo for alleged offences of conspiracy, stealing, criminal breach of trust and fraudulent conversion of company goods and money leveled against them.
One of the four counts leveled against Oke and Fabunmi read, “That you did with intent to defraud, unlawfully obtain the sum of N18,495,829:85k from the customers of Betty Distribution Company, Osogbo, (represented by Director of Audit-Mr. Ajibola Enoch Olusola), under the pretense of remitting same into the company’s account, a pretense you know to be false, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode added that the workers and others at large contravened Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their lawyers, Ganiyu Afolabi and A. Alayoku prayed the court for their bail.
Kayode opposed the bail applications on the grounds that the police were yet to arrest other fleeing suspects and that the court should consider the huge amounts involved which could make the accused persons to run away.
However, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara ordered the defendants to be remanded in prison custody and asked their counsels to approach the court with formal bail applications. He adjourned the matter till May 21 for mention.
