BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police in Osun State have dragged a 35-year-old-man, Adegboyega Olamide, who heads a cooperative society in the state, before a Magistrate’s Court in Ile-Ife for allegedly fleecing two members of the society.
Police prosecutor, Emmanuel Abdullahi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in 2019 at Oke-Atan area, Ile-Ife.
Abdullahi said that the defendant fraudulently collected the sum of N22, 000 from one of his cooperative members, Goddey Joseph, with the pretense that he would, in turn, lend him money through God is Great Cooperative thrift but instead converted the money collected to his own use.
He said that Olamide stole the sum of N22, 000 property of Joseph by converting the same to his own use.
According to him, the defendant also fraudulently collected another sum of N22, 000 from one Mamadelo Moses with the pretense that he would lend him money through the cooperative but converted it to his personal use.
The prosecutor accused Olamide of stealing the total sum of N44, 000 belonging to the two complainants.
Abdullahi stated that the offence contravened sections 390(9) and 419 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun, 2002.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count-charge of fraud, illegal conversion and stealing slammed against him.
The defence counsel, Sidikat Salawu, pleaded for the bail of the defendant in most liberal terms and assured the court that Olamide would provide reliable sureties.
Magistrate A.A. Ayeni granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in the same amount.
Ayeni said that the surety must swear an affidavit of means, must reside within the court jurisdiction and must be gainfully employed with evidence. The surety, he added, must provide three recent passport photographs of the defendant and the surety.
The case was adjourned till May 26 for hearing.
