A group of six fraudsters, including an herbalist, has been sentenced to five years in prison each by a Federal High Court in Osogbo for defrauding former Speaker of the House of Assembly in Osun State, Timothy Owoye.
According to Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, the prosecutor was able to prove that the convicts swindled the former speaker a sum of N38 million and also posted his nude video online which led to him (Owoeye) being ridiculed.
In 2018, Timothy Owoeye appeared unclothed and bathed in a market area in a 13-second video that went viral.
A community member allegedly accosted the speaker while he was performing a ritual to avert death in Osunjela, Osun State.
On October 19, 2018, the convicts; Kazeem Agbabiaka, Femi Oyebode, Abdul-Rasheed Ojonla, Babatunde Oluajo, Adebiyi Kehinde, Oyebanji Oyeniyi and Ismaila Azeez were arraigned before a magistrate court before being transferred to the Federal High Court.
Also Read: Herbalist Allegedly Rape Minor In Osmak Hotel, Mushin
During the trial, the prosecution counsel led by the Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Moses Faremi presented 57 exhibits including bank statements of three commercial banks where the money for fraud was received, flash drives, compact discs, wooden boxes, $100, and a gun, among others.
An Investigating Police Officer, four bankers, and the ex-speaker Timothy Owoeye all testified against the convicts.
Justice Emmanuel Ayoola convicted six of them of conspiracy, advance-free fraud, and cyberstalking among other charges.
The herbalist Agbabiaka, the village chief Oyebode, the village chief Ojonla, and Prince Babatunde were convicted of conspiracy and advance-free fraud, while Adebiyi was convicted of cyberstalking.
However, Justice Ayoola discharged Oyeniyi on the case of conspiracy levelled against him.
