By Kayode Adeoti
The Oyo State Comptroller of Prison (CP), Mr Bamidele Ademola Akin, is currently cooling his heels in the Mandala Prison, Kwara State, for allegedly defrauding one Dele Adeleke of Afon close, Sabo-Oke, Ilorin, the sum of N25million.
The Comptroller’s remand was on Monday ordered by the presiding judge of the state Upper Area Court sitting in Ilorin, Justice Sunday Adeniyi despite his plea bargain.
Akin’s remand by Justice Adeniyi came following a bench warrant issued against the latter after his refusal to appear for trial at the court on several occasion.
Also joined in the suit with Akin, is one Mr Nathaniel Oladosu.
The direct complaint filed against the defendants revealed that the complainant paid the cumulative sum of N25million for the purchase of a landed property situated at Ipaye Street, Off Onikanga Road, GRA, Ilorin.
According to the charge sheet, the payments were made in tranches into the Fidelity Bank account of Akin and the last deposit was done on 29th January, 2019.
The direct complaint stressed that it was one Mr Popoola Gabriel who initially had interest in acquiring the property that introduced the complainant to the defendant.
It was also said that Popoola had paid the sum of N1.4million into the Comptroller’s account but the latter promised to refund the money.
It was stated further that Akin agreed to hand over the property to the complainant on 10th February, 2018 but failed to either do so or refund the money paid into his account.
Efforts geared towards recovering the property from the defendant was said to have proven abortive despite the intervention of personalities from Omu-Aran, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.
When the complainant persistently demanded for the refund of his money, the charge sheet noted that the CP issued him bounced cheque.
The charge reads, “Direct Complaint of criminal breach of trust and cheating against one Mr Bamidele Ademola Akin (Comptroller of Prisons) and Mr Nathaniel Oladosu both of P-County hotel, Omu Aran, Kwara State contrary to section 312 and 322 of penal code law’
The claimant counsel, Abdulfatah Yusuf Babadudu, had prayed the court to issue a bench warrant against the defendant claiming that such will make him respect the court and also understand the gravity of the alleged offence before him.
He noted that overtime; the court had adjourned the matter at the expense of the defendant adding that granting the order for arrest will encourage the Comptroller to pay up the money in contention.
On his part, counsel to the defendant, Sheu Kazeem Hassan, urged the court to discountenance the submission of his colleague promising that his client will come for his trial at the next adjourned date if offered another opportunity.
The judge, who in his short ruling ceded to the submission of the claimant, subsequently ordered the remand of the Comptroller.
Akin’s plea and promise to pay the money yielded no fruit as he was remanded in prison while the matter was adjourned to 4th September, 2019.
