Ondo court remands fake DSS officer over fraud

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

The defendant was said to have been defrauding the victims claiming to be an official of the Department of State Security.

He was arrested by the men of the state police command in June 2022 at Ayegun Oka Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government area of the state and was charged to court.

He was arraigned before the court on a five-count charge.

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

According to him, the defendant obtained the sum of N570,000 from one Prophet Issac Adebayo, under the pretence of securing a job for his (victim) son, Daniel Adebayo into DSS, knowing the same to be false.

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

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

In total, the defendant fraudulently was alleged to have converted a sum of N2,970,000, belonging to Prophet Issac Adebayo, Bola Ajidara and Bosede Adeyanju, to his own personal use.

The offences were said to have contravened Sections 418, 419, 383, 390(9), 484 108(2)of the Criminal Code, Cap 37 Volume 1 Law of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.

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 the most liberal terms.

The ruling, magistrate O.R Yakubu granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2,000,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the matter till March 23, 2023, for hearing but the defendant could not perfect his bail and was remanded at the correctional centre in Akure.