Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin has sentenced a Former Banker, Ajiboye Tunde Aremu to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine for obtaining money by false pretense.

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had on February 17, 2020, arraigned Ajiboye on one count charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

The charge against him reads;

"That you, Ajiboye Tunde Aremu 'M' sometime in December 2016 at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the High Court with intent to defraud, did obtain from One Medinat Olansile Shagaya the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) with the pretence that the money will be put in fixed deposit which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act."

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and the went into full trial. The prosecution counsel, Andrew Akoja called 3 witnesses to prove the charge against the defendant.

Delivering judgement on the matter today, Justice Akinpelu held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and pronounced Ajiboye guilty as charged.

Justice Akinpelu sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine and ordered that he (Ajiboye) restitute the sum of Eight Million Naira to the victim.

The convict began his journey to prison when the Commission received a petition alleging that the convict while working as a Banker with a new generation bank received the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) for placement in a fixed deposit account but diverted the money for his personal use.

In another development, Justice Akinpelu also sentenced one Adeniyi Damilare to six months imprisonment each on two counts bordering on cheating by personation.

The Court however gave him an option of fine of N100, 000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) on each count and ordered that the phone and laptop which he used to perpetrate the crime as well as the sum of $105 which he raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.