Produce maid in N100m theft trial, Lagos court orders correctional centre

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Special Offences Court has ordered the Kirikiri Female Correctional Centre to produce a housemaid, Funmilayo Olawale, who is facing a N100m fraud charge along with five others.

The judge issued the directive after Olawale failed to appear at Tuesday’s court proceedings.

“Produce the first defendant Funmilayo Olawale, in the Correctional centre on the next adjourned date,” Oshodi said.

Olawale was initially arraigned on January 19, 2024, alongside Mbadike Aloysius, Ben Dimgba, Emmanuel Eze, Mukaila Husein, and Henry Ochoma, for allegedly stealing jewellery worth over N100m.

They were re-arraigned on March 4, 2024.

They are facing nine counts, bordering on conspiracy, stealing, breaking and entering, burglary, receiving stolen property, and impersonating as a “money doubler.”

The charges were preferred against them by the police.

Prosecuting counsel, DSP Henry Obiazi, informed the court that the defendants, along with others who are still at large, conspired to commit the offences.

Obiazi said the offences occurred in June 2023 at 303 Close, House 3, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos and explained that Olawale, a Benin Republic national and mother of three, allegedly stole eight boxes of jewellery from her employer, Mrs. Olawunmi Fajemirokun, on Banana Island.

“The first defendant, Olawale, broke into the complainant’s residence on June 7, 2023, stole the jewellery, and then fled the scene,” Obiazi added.

He also stated that Aloysius, Dimgba, and Ochoma conspired to receive the stolen property, knowing it had been stolen from Fajemirokun’s residence by Olawale.

“The second, third, fourth, and sixth defendants knowingly received the stolen jewellery from the first defendant,” Obiazi told the court.

Additionally, the prosecutor alleged that Husein conspired with one Yusuf Adamu, who is still at large, to receive the stolen property from Eze, who was described as the leader of a criminal syndicate.

“Husein and Adamu knew the items were stolen from the employer’s house by her housemaid,” he said.

Obiazi further accused Aloysius, Dimgba, Eze, and Ochoma of falsely presenting themselves as individuals capable of using sorcery to increase any sum of money.

“They claimed to be able to produce currency by treating paper or other material with chemical substances,” Obiazi alleged.

According to him, the offences contravened Sections 516, 390(6), 411(1)(2), and 427 of the Criminal Code 2004, as well as Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.

However, all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The judge initially adjourned the case until September 24, 2024, to rule on their bail applications.

At the resumed hearing of their bail application on Tuesday, the first defendant was absent and unrepresented by the counsel. Following this, counsel for the fifth defendant, Husein, applied for his bail.

Justice Oshodi granted Husein bail in the sum of N50m, with two sureties in like amount.

“The sureties must deposit original title documents for real estate and provide proof of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government,” the judge ordered.

Husein was also ordered to submit his valid passport to the court’s chief registrar. “If the passport is expired, the chief registrar must notify immigration authorities to prevent the defendant from obtaining a new one,” Justice Oshodi added.

The judge adjourned the case until December 3, 2024, for trial.