‘Prophet’ jailed two weeks for stealing handbag in Oyo

An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, on Monday ordered a fraudster, Ezekiel Onikoyi, 39, to serve two weeks imprisonment for stealing a woman’s handbag containing a phone, power bank and N4,000

Onikoyi, whose address was not provided, was charged with stealing, obtaining money under false pretences and conduct likely to cause the breach of the peace.

He pleaded guilty to the three -count charge.

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The Magistrate, Miss Gladys Oladele, said that the convict was found guilty as charged and ordered to serve two weeks imprisonment at the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan.

Oladele, however, gave the convict an option of serving one month community service .

She held that the power bank, one of the things the convict stole from the complainant should be returned to her (complainant).

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Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Samuel Owolabi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on March 14, at 11:30 p.m., at the old Toll Gate on the Ibadan- Lagos Expressway.

Owolabi said that the convict disguised himself as a prophet and defrauded one Mrs. Balikis Adeoti, who was returning back from work.

According to the prosecutor, the convict, posed as prophet, intercepted Adeoti on her way and claimed to have a word of revelation for her.

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He instructed her to drop her bag and walk a short distance to a junction to pray and leave a N100 note at the spot for her problems to be solved.

Owolabi said that Adeoti dropped her bag and followed the instruction, but on returning the fake prophet and her bag had disappeared.

He said that the convict had made away with her bag containing phones and Power bank worth N220, 000 as well as her N4,000.

The prosecutor said that the power bank was later recovered from the convict, but the phone was not.

He said the offences contravened Sections 390 (9), 419 and 249 (d) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.