A 26 year-old woman, Wuraola Ademola, was on Tuesday arraigned before Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan, for allegedly obtaining N1.9 million daily contribution from an unsuspecting contributor.
Ademola pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of obtaining by false pretense and stealing preferred against her.
Consequently, the court’s President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, admitted her to bail in the sum of half-a-million naira, with two reliable sureties, who must be her blood relatives, in like sum.
Akintayo also ordered that the sureties must each show evidence of possessing landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, and must also provide evidence of three years tax payment to the Oyo State government.
Thereafter, she adjourned the suit to July 29 for trial.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Insp. Ayodele Ayeni, had earlier informed the court that the defendant committed the crime on Jan. 30, at Ogunlana Drive, Asi-Bodija, Ibadan.
Ayeni further explained that Ademola was arrested after the complainant, Mr Adekunle Isola, reported that the defendant allegedly obtained N1.9 million from him based on the agreement that he would pay N50,000 daily contribution for 10 days and would subsequently collect N500,000.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant told Isola that she was into the collection of N50,000 daily contribution from interested persons and that he subscribed into it.
He stated that Ademola convinced him that many other people in her neighborhood were already into the daily contribution and so he agreed to join.
He further said that after completing the first 10 days of daily contribution, the defendant urged the complainant to continue until he contributed as much as N1.9 million.
The prosecutor further explained that the complainant was no longer comfortable with Ademola’s advice to continue contributing and wanted to collect his money at all cost before the defendant started giving excuses.
Ayeni said that the offences contravened the provision of section 419 and 390 (9) of the criminal code, cap 38 vol. ii, Laws of Oyo State 2000. (NAN).
