‘I Will Never Go Back To Crime’– Politician Begs Court As Judge Passes Sentence

An Osun State politician has pleaded with the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo on Wednesday to be lenient with him, promising never to engage in any crime again.

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But Justice Peter Lifu ignored his plea and sentenced the 64-year-old politician, Folorunsho Olayanju, to 12 months imprisonment for impersonation and defrauding man of N2,250,000

The convict, who claimed to.be a lawyer had charged the amount as fee for his appearance at the
Supreme Court for the case involving his ‘client’, Hammed Bamidele.

Olayanju was arraigned in court on six-counts including fraud, impersonation and stealing among others.

The prosecutor from the Ministry of Justice, Osun State, Muyiwa Ogunleye, said the convict defrauded Bamidele, to the tune of N2,250,000, with the pretence of using the money as a professional fee for the prosecution of his case at the Supreme Court.

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The prosecutor told the court that the offences were contrary to sections 383 and 484 of the criminal code and sections 1(1) (a) (b) & (2) and 1(1)(c), of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Justice Peter Lifu held that the prosecutor, Mr Muyiwa Ogunleye, had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and thereby convicted Olayanju. The convict who had no legal representation, urged the court to be merciful with him, saying, “I will never go back into crime.”

Justice Lifu thereby sentenced Bamidele to one-year imprisonment on each of count two to five without any option of a fine. However, the jail term will run concurrently.

He also ordered that the sum of N2,250,000 should be returned to the complainant.

The judge further ruled that the jail term should run from March 25, 2021, when the convict was re-arrested.

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