Oyo: Former High Court Registrar Bags 3-Year-Jail Term For Issuing Dud Cheque

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of a former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mutiat Omobola Adio, for issuing a dishonored cheque.

According to the Head of Media & Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said Mrs Adio had been jailed twice earlier for fraud.

He said: “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 pretense.

“Also, on March 6, 2020 she was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for stealing a sum of N22,375,913 from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.”

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According to Mr Uwujaren, the defendant had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but later changed her plea to ‘guilty’, after a plea bargain agreement leading to the amendment of the charge upon her arraignment on January 30, 2018.

The statement said: “She was convicted after pleading guilty to a fresh charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense and issuance of Dishonored Cheque contrary to Sections 419 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000 and Section 1 (1) (b) of the Dishonored Cheque (Offences) Act, Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“Adio is alleged to have obtained a 2000 Model Toyota Pathfinder SUV valued at N1, 500,000 (One Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Fabunmi Olatunji Samuel of Fatai Olanrewaju Motors by pretending to him that it would be paid once the cheque she issued him in the said value is presented to her bank.”

The statement revealed that the victim had released the said vehicle to her, but “the cheque was dishonored within three months of issuance for in-sufficient funds in the account”.

Mr Uwujaren said that Justice Owolabi who presided over the case, pronounced the defendant guilty of the offence and sentenced her to three years in prison.

“The Court also ordered her to restitute to her victim one Fabunmi Olatunji Samuel of Fatai Olanrewaju Motors the sum of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) in addition to the sum of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) she had previously paid in restitution of the victim,” he added.