Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
It was revealed by the prosecuting Police Superintendent, Chidi Okoye, that on the 22nd of March 2015, Anibolu who was on annual leave came to the bank where he worked at FBN Alaba 2 branch in Ojo under the pretext that he wanted to assist a customer in posting his land use charges. Anibolu allegedly used the opportunity to transfer the sum of N9.308 million from a customer's account into other accounts.
“He fraudulently changed a customer’s identity and mandate card which enabled him to debit the said account of the sum N9 million and transferred it into various accounts,” Okoye said.It was revealed that Anibolu confessed in a statement tendered by the prosecution that his accomplices, who have all absconded, promised to give him N4 million from the money stolen, however, they disappeared with all the money.
According to the police, Anibolu said,
“I have been working with the bank as a teller since 2011 but on the day of the incident, I used the passwords of my colleagues with the help of “F” Key logger given to me by my friend called Afeez who is now at large. The logger helps link a customer’s identification with another that has online banking, which enables cash to be transferred successfully from one account to another. My regret now is that I was supposed to get N4 million as my share but the receivers of the money have since disappeared. I regret my action."Anibolu denied that the statement is authentic, claiming he was tortured by the police at the station to make the statement. However, the Chief Magistrate A.O. Awogboro ruled that there was no evidence of coercion or torture and accepted the prosecution's testimony as credible.
The trial which lasted for two years and nine month was brought to a close on January 25, 2017 with the Chief Magistrate finding him not guilty of a count of conspiracy but convicted him of stealing. He was sentenced to four years in prison, beginning from the date of his detention.
Before sentencing, Anibolu's lawyer, Philips Onyama, pleaded for a sentence of a fine, or a lenient jail term for his client.
“He’s a first time offender; he has no father, only a sick mother who relies on him to survive. He has been in custody since March 24, 2014 and has suffered emotional and physical torture. He is also now more sober and refined,” Onyama pleaded.
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