The Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has convicted and sentenced a self-acclaimed oil marketer, Olufemi Adesanya, to 21 years for defrauding a businesswoman, Oluwatoyin Akinwole, of N37.6m.
Adesanya was arraigned alongside Awojobi Ganiu by the Lagos zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), on December 11, 2018 on four-count charges bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.
Ganiu, while standing trial before Justice Mojisola Dada, pleaded guilty to amended two counts of stealing and obtaining money by false pretences and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by the court.
According to the EFCC, the duo allegedly defrauded Akinwole, leaked her nude pictures on social media and falsely claimed that she committed suicide by jumping into the Third Mainland Bridge in 2017.
During the trial, Akinwole in her evidence, said the duo defrauded her of N71m under the pretext of rendering special prayers for her and helping her to invest in the crude oil business.
According to her, the defendants, after defrauding her, posted her nude pictures which they took from her phone on social media and falsely claimed that she committed suicide to deter her from coming after them and seeking justice.
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Akinwole, who is based in the United State, said she found out about the scam when an employee of Adesanya called and informed her that the defendants never invested her money in any oil business, but rather used it to buy houses and cars.
Adesanya was arraigned on four counts bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretences.
Delivering her judgment on Monday, Justice Dada sentenced Adesanya to 14 years’ imprisonment on count one, another 14 years on count two, and seven years on count four.
He was, however, discharged on count three.
The judge added that the sentence would run concurrently.
