Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office on Friday secured the conviction of a former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mutiat Adio to three-year jail term.
She was convicted after pleading guilty to a fresh charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, and issuance of dishonoured cheque, contrary to Sections 419 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000 and Section 1 (1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act, Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
According to the Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this on Monday, February 15, Adio was accused of obtaining a 2000 Model Toyota Pathfinder SUV, valued at N1, 500,000, from one Fabunmi Samuel, of Fatai Olanrewaju Motors.
Uwujaren said that she pretended as if the money would be paid once the cheque she issued to Samuel in the said value was presented at her bank.
This made the victim to release the vehicle to her, but the cheque was dishonoured within three months of issuance, due to insufficient funds in the account.
“Upon arraignment on January 30, 2018, the defendant, who had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, later changed her plea to ‘guilty’, after a plea bargain agreement, leading to the amendment of the charge.”
“Justice Owolabi thereafter pronounced defendant guilty of the offence and sentenced her to three years in prison,” Uwujaren stated.
He added that the court also ordered her to restitute her victim, Samuel, with ₦500,000, in addition to ₦1 million she previously paid in restitution.
It was gathered that, previously, Adio had been jailed twice for fraud. On May 18, 2018, she was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for obtaining N9.2 million from one Abiodun Olonade, a Nigerian resident in Ireland, by false pretence.
Also, on March 6, 2020 she was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for stealing a sum of N22,375,913 million from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
