Man who suffered loss after staking customer’s money on bet cools off in jail
TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A 32-year-old man, Olatunbosun Sowumi, has revealed that he used the sum of N370,000 meant for supply of 16 bags of rice to one of his customers to play bet.
Sowumi, while addressing a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, on Friday, explained that he had attempted the betting in order to make more profit from the money before making the supply to his customer.
Unfortunately for the defendant, the betting failed as he defaulted to meet up with the supply of the bags of rice to a trader, Akinboro Seminat.
Sowumi was consequently arraigned on two count-charge of fraud and stealing, contrary to sections 419 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 13, 2022 when he collected N370,000 from one Akinboro Semirat, with a promise to supply 16 bags of rice to her and failed to do so.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the two count-charge slammed against him by the police.
The defence counsel, Kehinde Adepoju, urged the court to grant him bail in the most liberal term and assured that he would always make himself available to stand the trial.
When the Chief Magistrate, Dr Olusegun Ayilara, asked the defendant where he kept the money, Sowumi said he used the money to play bet so that he can make some money before supplying the rice.
Ayilara thereby granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties who must be a house owner within the jurisdiction and a civil servant.
The matter was adjourned till July 15, for hearing. Sowumi was taken to Ilesa Correctional Centre after he could not meet his bail conditions.
