Fijabi Olanrewaju
JUSTICE Adenike Akinpelu of a Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has sentenced a former banker, Ajiboye Tunde Aremu to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine for obtaining money by pretence.
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on 17th February 2020 arraigned Ajiboye on a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, Andrew Akoja called three witnesses to prove its case.
Delivering judgement on Wednesday, 19 April, Justice Akinpelu held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and pronounced Ajiboye guilty as charged.
He sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine and ordered that he (Ajiboye) pay the sum of Eight Million Naira to the victim.
The convict, while working with a new generation bank, received the sum of Ten Million Naira (N10, 000,000.00) for placement in a fixed deposit account but diverted the money to his personal use.
In another development, Justice Akinpelu also sentenced Adeniyi Damilare to six months imprisonment each on two counts bordering on cheating by personation.
The court however gave him an option of a fine of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000.00) only on each count and ordered that the phone and laptop which he used to perpetrate the crime as well as the sum of $105 which he raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Eighteen-Eleven Media