Ekiti: Couple, mother-in-law bag 180 years imprisonment over stealing, conspiracy
By Mike Adebayo, Ado-Ekiti
A former bank cashier, Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge, alongside his wife, Isakunle Olamide Oyinlola and mother-in-law, Isakunle Eunice Moradeke, were on Friday sentenced to 180 years imprisonment by Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, on a 12-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, Nigerian NewsDirect reports.
The charges, which are contrary to section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Laws Cap 16 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, was brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge Justice Ogunmoye, in his judgement, ruled that the prosecution team led by Abdulrasheed Lanre suleiman proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and that the convicts had failed to extricate themselves from the self-evidenced proofs before the court.
EFCC, in the course of trial, called two witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove their case.
The convicts were found guilty on all twelve count charges and sentenced to five years on each count. The cumulative sixty years prison terms will, however, run concurrently.
The journey to the dock started when a petition was written to the EFCC by one of the new generation banks alleging that one of its staff, Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge, was involved in fraudulent activities.
It was alleged that sometime in February 2018, the bank received a complaint concerning the financial impropriety of the sum of N62,400 in respect of a customer’s account.
According to the petition made available to Nigerian NewsDirect in Ado-Ekiti, on February 15, 2017, a customer lodged the said sum into her account but the transaction could not be traced in the customer’s account even after the customer presented a copy of the slip signed by Alonge.
In the course of investigation, the said transaction was allegedly traced to Ebenezer Alonge wife’s account. Further investigation however revealed that there was a turnover of over N21m as deposit from other customers in his wife’s account. Also, it was alleged that other sums were traced to his mother-in-law’s account, who was also a beneficiary of the fraudulent act.
The court also ordered Alonge to forfeit his house, which shall be sold and the proceeds used to restitute the bank, Nigerian NewsDirect reports.
