The Ondo State Chief Magistrate Court, on Tuesday, ordered the immediate past deputy governor of Ondo State, Mr Agboola Ajayi, to appear before it following an application of warrant by the state Commissioner of Police over an allegation of fraud.
The CP had applied to the court for the warrant to bring Ajayi or his statement to court over the case as the defendant (Ajayi) had allegedly failed to appear before the police nor write a statement over the allegation levelled against him.
At the court proceeding on Tuesday, two of Ajayi’s aides, Mr Sam Ogunnusi and Akintoye Olatunji, were arraigned by the police before the court, over a car Ajayi allegedly collected in 2018 from a vehicle dealer, known as Segun Adetuwo.
The duo were arraigned before the court on a three-count charge bothering on fraud.
Ogunnusi was said to have been sent by his boss, Ajayi, to collect the car from the automart of Adetuwo in Akure, the state capital in 2018.
The charge sheet, “That you Akintoye Olatunji, Ogunmusi Samuel, and others now at large sometime in the month of May 2018 at Automart Akure in the Akure Magisterial District did conspire with yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining by false pretence and stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the criminal code cap 37, vol 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
you Akintoye Olatunji, Ogunmusi Samuel and others now at large sometimes in the .on the month of May 2018 at Automart Akure in the Akure Magisterial District did by false pretence and with intent to defraud obtains one brand new Black Toyota Camry XLE valued N5.4 million only property of one Segun Adetuwo and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a)(c) and punishable under section 1(3) of the advance fee fraud and other fraud-related offences Act, laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2006.
“That you Akintoye Olatunji, Ogunmusi Samuel and others now at large on the same date, and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did fraudulently convert one Toyota Camry XLE valued N5.4 million property of one Segun Adetuwo to your own and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 383, and punishable under section 390(9) of the criminal code cap 37. Vol. 1laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.”
The police prosecutor, Emmanuel Tanimowo, told the court that the former deputy governor, Ajayi, had not responded to the invitation sent to him to explain his own side of the matter.
Counsel for the first respondent, Omolegbon Odunsola, informed the court that he had been making efforts to reach out to Ajayi and the applicant, Segun Adetuwo, to see how the issue could be settled out of court.
But the applicant’s counsel, Alex Olademehin, informed the court that the former deputy governor, could not give his own side of the incident by proxy, arguing that Ajayi should either go to the police station and give his written statement or appear in court in person.
Giving his ruling, the magistrate, Mr Taiwo Lebi, ordered that Ajayi or his statement must be produced in court on the next adjournment date and adjourned the hearing to November 24, 2023.
