Police nab church warden over N18.5m property fraud

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By Olusola AJIBIKE (Abeokuta)

     NIGERIA: OGUN State police command has apprehended a warden with an old generation church in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for alleged dupe.

The command said that Olabanji Oguntayo, who resides at Oke-Ata area of Abeokuta, allegedly swindled a businessman of N18.5 million.

The 54-year-old Oguntayo, the command further said, took over the landed properties of the victim, Jacob Erinle, which are located across the town ‎and sold them without giving the victims the proceeds.

     GatewayMail learnt that Oguntayo was arrested after a Non-Governmental Organisation wrote a petition to the police on behalf of the victim, who is a pensioner and Baba Ijo of the church, where the suspect is the pastor’s warden.

It was further gathered that the petition alleged that the suspect was accused of issuing dud cheques, obtaining money by trick and engaging in threat to life.

Similarly, it was also alleged that Oguntayo had earlier been invited by the police last May 17, but was subsequently granted bail after producing a surety.

Besides, he was released based on his agreement to re-appear on May 25, but he, however, jumped bail while his surety, Ismail Akanbi, who lives at 33 Ago-Ide, Obantoko in Abeokuta, also absconded after he failed to produce him.

Following this, he was re-arrested last Monday, June 12 and on further interrogation confessed to have committed the crime with a plea that he would pay the money back.

The command, it was gathered, had concluded arrangements to prosecute him in court for allegedly obtaining money under false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, when contacted, confirmed the development and stressed that the suspect would soon be charged to court.

“It is true; it is a case of fraud amount to N18.5million,” the police image maker said, adding: “The suspect had earlier jumped bail before he was rearrested and on completion of investigation, he would be charge to court.”

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