Security & Crime
Osun ex-speaker involved in case of fraud, resulting in jail term for 6 individuals
Six individuals, one of whom was a herbalist, were found guilty by a Federal High Court in Osogbo and sentenced to five years in jail for posting a video of the former speaker of the Osun Assembly, Timothy Owoye, in his undies on the internet following his theft of N38 million.
Remembers that in 2018, a 13-second video of Timothy Owoeye appeared in a market area while bathing, going viral.
The community from Osun State’s Osunjela area reportedly approached the speaker as he was purportedly performing a ritual to prevent death.
The guilty parties, Kazeem Agbabiaka, Femi Oyebode, Abdul-Rasheed Ojonla, Babatunde Oluajo, Adebiyi Kehinde, Oyebanji Oyeniyi, and Ismaila Azeez, were then arraigned before a magistrate court prior to their transfer to the Federal High court on October 19, 2018.
Under the direction of Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Moses Faremi, the prosecution’s attorney presented the court with 57 exhibits during the trial, including bank statements from three commercial banks where the fraudulent funds were received, a flash drive, a compact disc, a wooden box, $100, and a gun, among other items.
In a similar vein, four bankers, an investigating police officer, and former speaker Timothy Owoeye were among the six witnesses who testified against the inmates.
In his ruling on Tuesday, November 7, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola found six of them guilty of charges that included, but were not limited to, conspiracy, advance-free fraud, and cyberstalking.
Adebiyi was found guilty of cyberstalking, while Agbabiaka, a herbalist, Oyebode, a community leader, Ojonla, and Prince, were found guilty of conspiracy and advance-free fraud.
On the conspiracy accusation brought against him, Oyeniyi was released by Judge Ayoola, nevertheless.
According to Judge Ayoola, the ex-speaker was defrauded of N38 million by the convicts, and he was made fun of for posting his nude video online.
During the allocutus, the convicts’ legal representatives implored the judge to balance justice by showing mercy, citing their status as first-time offenders and family men as reasons.
All of the guilty were ultimately given five years each in prison by Judge Ayoola.