By Eberechi Obinagwam
A staff of Ojo Local government educational board, Lagos State, Dabiri Modusola has admitted guilt of the 53 count charges leveled against her since 2011 at the Lagos High court because she is tired of staying in prison.
A mother of three, she has been in prison custody since July 30, 2011.
When her case was mentioned for hearing, she raised her hand to the surprise of her counsel who was obviously not in the know of what she wanted to tell the court.
Her persistent hands in the air got the attention of the judge, S.O Solebo, who overruled her lawyer and insisted on hearing from the accuse directly.
When given the opportunity to speak, she spared no punches:”I want to plead guilty. I have paid the sum of one million, one hundred and eleven thousand Naria out of one million, five hundred and fifty thousand Naira. It remains five hundred and I cannot pay again,” she said.
While the defence counsel sought to object her and go on with the case, the judge objected and insisted that the lawyer could not plead for a defendant.
The judge said: “I understand her predicament. She was at my window the last time to explain to me.
“She has no income to pay the balance of N500, 000. What will profit her, pre-bargain and remain in prison for long?
“At a point her office was deducting money from her salary and at a point, they stopped paying her, so there was no means of paying the bill.
“The law is law. I cannot re-write it. There is no sentiment here,” the judge said.
The accused is a staff of Ojo Local government Education Authority where she worked at the account department as the variation officer and Internal Auditor.
She is accused of conspiring with seven others, used the pay slip, staff identity card, passport photographs, statement of account and letter of introduction of 48 staff of Ojo local government Area which she presented to Olawale Saromi a staff of Credit Direct Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of First City Group.
The charge added that with the aid of other staff particularly the 2nd defendant, she fraudulently collected a loan of fourteen million, six hundred thousand sixty seven naira on behalf of 48 staff with a verdict interest using a forged document from Credit Direct.
The fraud was noticed in 2010 when the 48 staff noticed an indiscriminate deductions of their salary.
When they started questioning the rational behind the deductions, it was discovered that the first defendant, that is Dabiri, took the lion share of the fraudulent loan while other staff who conspired with her got various money in a ratio agreed by the parties.
The trial commenced on March 28, 2012 with the prosecution calling eight witnesses and various exhibits.
The defence opened their case on the June 8, 2016 with its first witness as the defendant, Dabiri. She represented herself and gave brief of herself too.
But on November 15, 2018, she charged her appeal to guilty.
In all, her defence counsel pleaded that the judge temper justice with mercy, seeing that the mother of three, now 48 years old has spent her productive years in custody.
Judgement was reserved for December 11, 2018.
