A Chief Magistrate court in Ilorin on Monday sentenced a stylist, Adekola Adejumo, 22, to one year in prison for fraudulently transferring N29, 000 to his account under the pretence of assisting online registration.
The Chief Magistrate, Ibrahim Dasuki, however granted Adejumo option of N5,000 fine and ordered that he should pay a sum of N29, 000 as compensation to the complainant.
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The Prosecutor, Insp. Folorunsho Zacheous, had earlier told the court that one Abdulfatah Atere of Oloje Area of Ilorin reported the case at IGP X-Squad office on Oct. 16.
Zacheous said that on that date, Adejumo of Yerefu compound, Ita-Adu, Gambari Area, Ilorin, was at the complainant’s shop to repair the power steering of a Sienna bus.
He said that the convict offered to assist the complainant to register for Opay company (online commercial transport) through the complainant’s phone.
The prosecutor said that Adejumo told the complainant that he must have money in his bank account before registering for Opay. He then demanded for the complainant’s ATM card to enable him transfer N1, 000 to Opay’s account.
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Zacheous said that the complainant received a debit alert of N2, 000, but when he complained, the convict said that it could be a network problem.
He said that after few hours, the complainant received another debit alert of N29, 000 which he suspected was done by the convict as he was the only one that collected his ATM card with account details.
The prosecutor said that Adejumo was arrested and later confessed, in his statement, that he fraudulently transferred the said amount to his own bank account.
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Zacheous said that the offence was a criminal breach of trust and theft contrary to Sections 311 and 286 of the Penal Code.
The accused person pleaded guilty and promised never to repeat the act.
