An Ondo Magistrate’s Court has remanded a 46-year-old man, Ebenezer Adefehinti, for allegedly defrauding three people under the pretext of securing jobs for their children.

The defendant was said to have claimed to be an official of the Department of State Services.

He was arrested in June 2022 at Ayegun Oka Akoko in the Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state.

He was arraigned on five counts.

Èdè Wa Ni: Ẹ Pàdé Àròjinlẹ̀ Tó Ń Dá Àwọn Ènìyàn Lẹ́kọ̀ọ́ Nípa Ẹranko Lédè Yoruba

The police prosecutor, Inspector Augustine Omhenemhen, told the court that Adefehinti, with the intent to defraud members of the public, falsely represented himself as an official of the DSS.

According to him, the defendant obtained the sum of N570,000 from one Prophet Issac Adebayo, under the pretext of securing a job for his (victim’s) son, Daniel Adebayo, in the DSS.

The prosecutor said also with the intent to defraud, Adefehinti obtained N650,000 from one Mrs Bola Ajidara, with a promise to assist her son, Abiola Olorundare John, secure a job in the DSS, knowing the same to be false.

Omhenemhen added that the defendant also obtained from one Bosede Adeyanju the sum of N1,750,000, under the pretext that he would secure employment for her family member and friend, Odo Kehinde and Oladimeji Olarewaju, respectively, into the security organisation.

The defendant was alleged to have converted a total sum of N2,970,000 belonging to the victims to his personal use.

The offences contravened sections 418, 419, 383, 390(9), 484 108(2) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

Adefehinti pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The prosecutor applied for a date to go through the case file for proper prosecution, while the defence counsel, A.O. Akinde, prayed the court to grant his client bail in liberal terms.

The ruling, the Magistrate, O.R. Yakubu, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2,000,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The case was adjourned till March 23, 2023, for a hearing.

The defendant was however remanded as he could not perfect his bail conditions.

Credit: Punch