Fake Prophet To Serve 2 Weeks Imprisonment For Stealing Woman’s Handbag

An Iyaganku Magistrate’s Court, located in Ibadan, has directed a fraudster, Ezekiel Onikoyi, aged 39, to undergo two weeks of imprisonment for pilfering a woman’s handbag that held a phone, a power bank, and N4,000.

Onikoyi, whose residential address was not disclosed, faced accusations of theft, securing funds through deceptive means, and behavior likely to disturb public peace. When the three-count charges were presented to him, he admitted his guilt.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Samuel Owolabi, informed the court that the defendant carried out the crimes on March 14, at 11:30 p.m., near the old Toll Gate along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway.

Owolabi explained that the convicted individual masqueraded as a prophet and swindled one Mrs Balikis Adeoti, who was heading home from work. According to the prosecutor, the convict, pretending to be a prophet, intercepted Adeoti on her route and asserted he had a divine message for her. He directed her to place her bag down and walk a brief distance to a junction to pray and leave a N100 note there to resolve her troubles.

Owolabi stated that Adeoti set her bag aside and complied with the instructions, but upon returning, the fraudulent prophet and her bag were nowhere to be found. He noted that the convict had absconded with her bag, which contained phones and a power bank valued at N220,000, along with her N4,000.

The prosecutor mentioned that the power bank was subsequently retrieved from the convict, though the phone remained missing. He added that the offenses violated Sections 390 (9), 419, and 249 (d) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The Magistrate, Miss Gladys Oladele, declared that the convict was deemed guilty as charged and mandated him to serve two weeks imprisonment at the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan.

Oladele, nonetheless, offered the convict the alternative of performing one month of community service.

She ruled that the power bank, one of the items the convict took from the complainant, should be restored to her (complainant).

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli