Court jails woman for fraud and stealing over building sale
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A woman who defrauded and stole N620,000 from Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBC) has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for falsely claiming to be the owner of a building she sold to the church in Ado Ekiti.
Sade Otenuga, 40, was jailed seven years on the first count of fraud and five years on the second of stealing after she pleaded to the charges. Both sentences run concurrently.
An Ado Ekiti High Court gave her an option of N20,000 fine on the second count but ruled she must be locked up for seven years on the first.
The court heard that Otenuga between 6 and 8 April 2021 in Ado Ekiti obtained N620,000 from Oso Olugbenga, a pastor in DLBC, with intent to defraud, and “during the same period did steal a sum of N620,000 belonging to the same Oso Olugbenga.”
The offences contravene Sections 1(3) and 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State.
“Between 6th and 8th April, 2021, I transferred N620,000 to the woman who claimed to own a dilapidated building at the Dalimore area of Ado Ekiti,” Olugbenga testified before the court.
“The church decided to purchase the building, as it had become a hideout for criminals in the area. “The woman also gave the church instruction to remove the building, not knowing that she was not the rightful owner.
“All efforts made to recover the money after the church discovered fraud in the transaction proved abortive.”
Police prosecutor Samson Osobu called three witnesses and tendered as exhibits a written petition to the police, a letter to First Bank, the statement of Otenuga and N100,000 cash, among others.
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Court rejects plea for mercy
Otenuga confessed to the crime under cross-examination.
But speaking through her counsel Yinka Opaleke she pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, a request the court turned down, according to reporting by The PUNCH.
“It is trite that where a statute prescribes mandatory sentence in clear terms, the courts are without jurisdiction to impose anything less than the prescribed mandatory sentence as no discretion exists in the court to exercise in the matter,” Judge Lekan Ogunmoye ruled.
“The defendant is hereby sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on count one, which will start running from the date of her remand in the correctional centre, Ado Ekiti.
“She is sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on count two with N20,000 option of fine. The terms are to run concurrently.”