A prophet, Ademole Bankole, has been taken before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly conspiring with some other people who are at large, to defraud one Tosin Jacob of N4.7m.
The sum was said to be the payment for donkeys, spiritual water, clothes, and other items that would avert the untimely death of Jacob and his family members.
Our correspondent learnt that the complainant was lured by his friend, one Ade Eso-Emi. He allegedly told Jacob that a prophet had seen a negative vision concerning him and his family during an intense prayer.
He was told that death was hovering round him and his family and if nothing was done about it within a certain period, the whole family would be wiped out.
The complainant was said to have believed his friend and became jittery. He was taken to see the prophet.
It was said that the prophet surprised Jacob when he allegedly told him all about his past life and that of his wife.
He was also said to have warned that if some spiritual deliverance was not done, they would all die of the same attack which killed Jacob’s mother.
The complainant was allegedly asked to pay some money for a list of items which included two donkeys, spiritual water, cloth and other items that would restore their lives.
He was said to have paid N4.7m.
He later discovered he had been led into a fraud web and reported the matter to the police.
While some of the fraudsters escaped, Bankole was caught and arraigned on three counts of fraud, obtaining under false pretence and stealing.
The three charges read in part, “That you, Ademole Bankole, and others presently now at large, in the month of April, 2013, at Ijoko area of Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire together among yourselves to defraud Mr. Tosin Jacob of his money.
“That you, Ademole Bankole, and others at large between the month of April to August, 2013 at Abule-Ijoko area of Lagos in the aforesaid Magisterial District with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N4, 700,000 (four million, seven hundred thousand naira) from Tosin Jacob, by presenting yourselves as prophets seeing visions and capable of averting death, a representation you knew to be false.”
The prosecutor, Inspector Frank Inah, said the offences were contrary to Sections 409, 312, and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the three counts.
The magistrate, Mr. A.O Komolafe, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum whom he said must show “affidavit of means, evidence of tax payment and their addresses must be verified by the police.”
The matter was adjourned till November 18.
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