The traditional ruler of Igburowo community in the Odigbo Local
Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Pius Adewola, may spend the
Yuletide in jail as he has been sentenced to two years imprisonment
by an Ore Chief Magistrate Court on Friday.
The monarch was convicted over allegations of fraud and
obtaining by false pretence.
The residents of the community had in 2012 staged a protest
against the monarch over allegations of misrule and bringing the
community into disrepute.
Oba Adewola was also accused of short-changing traditional
chiefs in the community by refusing to pay them their entitlement
in full after he had allegedly collected money from the local
government.
He was also accused of engaging in a brawl with his chiefs,
illegally converting the community’s resources to personal use and
allegedly writing fictitious petitions and instituting several
court cases against his subjects.
In 2014, the monarch was arrested and detained by the police and
subsequently arraigned on 36 counts of stealing, fraud, illegal
conversion of the monthly salaries of his domestic workers and
chiefs, false declaration and impersonation.
After the argument from the counsels of both plaintiff and
defendants, the Magistrate, Mr. O.J Adelegan sentenced Adewola to
two years’ imprisonment with an option of N500,000 fine.
Adelegan said in his ruling, “From the antecedents so far
garnered on the record, the convict appears to me, a conscienceless
person, who has no iota of regret, indulging in such an opprobrious
and despicable act.
“However, since it is no gainsaying that our law is no respecter
of any personality, I strongly deprecate the ungainly and
unbecoming acquisitive conduct of the convict, particularly, his
fraudulent instinct to corruptly enrich himself at the expense of
others. Though, I have listened attentively to the plea of
allocutus by his counsel, but from the available record, I see him
as a neophyte, a first offender.
“On counts 10-21 of the charge, which are on fraudulent
conversion, the convict is hereby sentenced to two years
imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000 on each of the
counts”
“Lastly, on count 22 of the charge, which is on obtaining by
false pretense, the convict is also hereby sentenced to two years’
imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000, respectively. In all,
both fines and sentences are ordered to run concurrently. The
monetary exhibit in this case, which is N408,000 is further hereby
ordered to be returned to Igburowo community forthwith.”
In his reaction to the judgement, the counsel to the Ondo State
Government, representing the Attorney-General and Commissioner for
Justice, Mrs. Bola Ogundadegbe, commended the magistrate for his
judgment and the wealth of knowledge displayed during the course of
the case.
Meanwhile, one week after an attack on the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba
Afolabi Odidomo, by some suspected hoodlums, the traditional rulers
in the state under the auspices of the Ondo State Council of Obas
have condemned the act.
Oba Odidiomo was attacked by the hoodlum in Igbokoda, the
headquarters of the Ilaje Local Government Area of the state last
week. The hoodlums attacked the monarch with machetes and inflicted
injuries on his head. He was left in the pool of his blood before
the men of the state police command came to his rescue.
The Ondo traditional rulers in a statement made available to our
correspondent, described the act as barbaric. The statement was
signed by the Chairman, Council of Obas in the state, the Olukare
of lkare, Oba Akadiri Momoh.
In the statement, the traditional rulers “frowned on the
constant attack and kidnapping of traditional rulers in the
state.”
Similarly, the state government also condemned the attack on the
monarch by suspected hoodlums.
In a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for
Information and Orientation, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi, “the government
views the attack as an unwarranted assault and a desecration of the
exalted stool of the Igbokoda traditional monarchy in particular
and the time-tested tradition of our forebears.”
Olowolabi said the government would leave no stone unturned in
its determination to ensure the protection of the lives and
property of the citizens. He said it had also given directives to
the security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the
people responsible for the attack on the monarch.
The statement said, “The government will also wish to make it
known to all criminally-minded people that no part of the state is
safe for them to operate any longer.”
“It should be noted that the governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has
always shown respect for the monarchy and will continue to protect
the exalted traditional stools.”
The traditional ruler of Igburowo community in the Odigbo Local
Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Pius Adewola, may spend the
Yuletide in jail as he has been sentenced to two years imprisonment
by an Ore Chief Magistrate Court on Friday.
The monarch was convicted over allegations of fraud and
obtaining by false pretence.
The residents of the community had in 2012 staged a protest
against the monarch over allegations of misrule and bringing the
community into disrepute.
Oba Adewola was also accused of short-changing traditional
chiefs in the community by refusing to pay them their entitlement
in full after he had allegedly collected money from the local
government.
He was also accused of engaging in a brawl with his chiefs,
illegally converting the community’s resources to personal use and
allegedly writing fictitious petitions and instituting several
court cases against his subjects.
In 2014, the monarch was arrested and detained by the police and
subsequently arraigned on 36 counts of stealing, fraud, illegal
conversion of the monthly salaries of his domestic workers and
chiefs, false declaration and impersonation.
After the argument from the counsels of both plaintiff and
defendants, the Magistrate, Mr. O.J Adelegan sentenced Adewola to
two years’ imprisonment with an option of N500,000 fine.
Adelegan said in his ruling, “From the antecedents so far
garnered on the record, the convict appears to me, a conscienceless
person, who has no iota of regret, indulging in such an opprobrious
and despicable act.
“However, since it is no gainsaying that our law is no respecter
of any personality, I strongly deprecate the ungainly and
unbecoming acquisitive conduct of the convict, particularly, his
fraudulent instinct to corruptly enrich himself at the expense of
others. Though, I have listened attentively to the plea of
allocutus by his counsel, but from the available record, I see him
as a neophyte, a first offender.
“On counts 10-21 of the charge, which are on fraudulent
conversion, the convict is hereby sentenced to two years
imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000 on each of the
counts”
“Lastly, on count 22 of the charge, which is on obtaining by
false pretense, the convict is also hereby sentenced to two years’
imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000, respectively. In all,
both fines and sentences are ordered to run concurrently. The
monetary exhibit in this case, which is N408,000 is further hereby
ordered to be returned to Igburowo community forthwith.”
In his reaction to the judgement, the counsel to the Ondo State
Government, representing the Attorney-General and Commissioner for
Justice, Mrs. Bola Ogundadegbe, commended the magistrate for his
judgment and the wealth of knowledge displayed during the course of
the case.
Meanwhile, one week after an attack on the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba
Afolabi Odidomo, by some suspected hoodlums, the traditional rulers
in the state under the auspices of the Ondo State Council of Obas
have condemned the act.
Oba Odidiomo was attacked by the hoodlum in Igbokoda, the
headquarters of the Ilaje Local Government Area of the state last
week. The hoodlums attacked the monarch with machetes and inflicted
injuries on his head. He was left in the pool of his blood before
the men of the state police command came to his rescue.
The Ondo traditional rulers in a statement made available to our
correspondent, described the act as barbaric. The statement was
signed by the Chairman, Council of Obas in the state, the Olukare
of lkare, Oba Akadiri Momoh.
In the statement, the traditional rulers “frowned on the
constant attack and kidnapping of traditional rulers in the
state.”
Similarly, the state government also condemned the attack on the
monarch by suspected hoodlums.
In a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for
Information and Orientation, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi, “the government
views the attack as an unwarranted assault and a desecration of the
exalted stool of the Igbokoda traditional monarchy in particular
and the time-tested tradition of our forebears.”
Olowolabi said the government would leave no stone unturned in
its determination to ensure the protection of the lives and
property of the citizens. He said it had also given directives to
the security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the
people responsible for the attack on the monarch.
The statement said, “The government will also wish to make it
known to all criminally-minded people that no part of the state is
safe for them to operate any longer.”
“It should be noted that the governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has
always shown respect for the monarchy and will continue to protect
the exalted traditional stools.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/court-sends-ondo-monarch-to-jail/