Court jails fake ‘Awujale’ 15 years over N20m marriage scam

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NIGERIA: A 23-YEAR-OLD man, who impersonated as the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, to dupe a Dublin based Nigerian woman N20 million over fake marriage, is to spend the next 15 years behind bars.

An Abeokuta High Court on Monday said that Bidemi Thompson was found guilty on eight count charges of the nine offences he committed against Olufunmilola Popoola, a resident of 11 Mayeston Green Street, Margret Road, Finglas, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

Thompson, who first appeared in court on March 26, 2015, was charged for offences, which included Internet fraud, impersonation, conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence and forgery.

While delivering the judgement on the suit number AB/EFCC/03/2014, Justice A. A. Akinyemi said that the furniture maker proved himself, during the trial, to be a serial and pathological liar, who was not remorseful throughout the trial.

Akinyemi, who said that the sentences would run concurrently, declared: “The accused is a serial liar, pathological and heartless liar.  Even when photograph he took with the victim was shown to him, he denied that he was not the one.

“He can deny more than the devil; he can even deny his existence.  He has not shown any repentance at all.  He has a posture of a hardened criminal.”

The judge further declared: “If he has the gut to impersonate Awujale, if he can fleece innocent people, it shows he is heartless.  I hereby sentenced him to fifteen years imprisonment, having been found guilty of eight out of the nine-charge which is to run concurrently‎.”

Akinyemi directed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to dispose of the landed property and Honda car with registration number FKJ 920CE bought by Thompson and that money thereafter realised on the sale should be used for restitution of Popoola.

Counsel to the convict, Oluwatosin Ogunnowo, earlier had pleaded with the court to be lenient with Thompson, who

he described as a first offender.

Ogunnowo also told the court that, shortly after his arrest, Thompson’s wife gave birth to a baby, who he had not seen since his detention.

Thomspon ran into trouble when he created a fake Facebook in the name of Oba Adetona with a promise to marry Popoola, but eventually swindled the Dublin based woman of N20 million through Internet fraud.

The court heard from prosecutor how the accused person posed as Awujale on the facebook, with the monarch’s profile, and then in 2014 proposed marriage to the unsuspecting victim who immediately fell in love.

From there, the duo began regular conversation and at a point the fake first class traditional ruler asked the would-be bride (Olori) to send money which shall be used for rituals ahead of her marriage to him in line with tradition, the court also heard.

The court was also told that while posing as Oba Adetona, the accused person invited the woman to attend his 80th birthday anniversary, as a first visit before the proposed marriage.

She flew from Dublin for the event, but couldn’t meet the monarch and thereafter the accused opened a bank account, where he directed the would-be wife to pay in money to be used for their wedding ceremony.

The jailed furniture maker had two separate cellphones which he used as Oba Adetona and another as Kunle Adetona, grandson of the royal father, to communicate with her throughout the period.

During Popoola’s visit, someone who disguised as the grandson of Awujale appeared to her and said that the ruler was busy involved in some rituals which could not enable him see her.

It was after all indications proved that Thompson was a conman that Popoola reported to anti-graft agency that arrested and dragged the accused to court.