Court remands principal for faking his abduction over N12m fraud in Ondo

A court in Ondo state's Akure ordered secondary school principal Matthew Afolabi to be remanded in custody for stealing N12 million and fabricating his kidnapping.

According to reports, Afolabi faked his kidnapping after cheating Ifesowapo CTS members out of N12 million. Then he was detained by agents of the state security agency Amotekun, who accused him in court with two charges of fraud and fabricating his kidnapping.

According to reports, he was the subject of a report filed against him at the Amotekun office in the state capital by members of his family, workers, friends, and the lfesowapo CTS Association.

Segun Akeredolu, the prosecuting attorney, claimed that the accused committed the crime at around 7 o'clock in the evening in the state's Ifedore council area in Igbara Oke.

Akeredolu claims that the defendant deceitfully converted the sum of N12 million, which belonged to members of the Ifesowapo CTS Association, for his own benefit. He allegedly did this by feigning to be the victim of a kidnapping. The accused claimed that he was taken hostage and held captive by unidentified gunmen somewhere in the jungle. He then called his family and friends to ask for help in paying a ransom to get him released.

Akeredolu said that the offences contravened Sections 383 and Punishable Under Sections 390(9) and 9 of Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law, 2010.

The defendant's plea, though, was not accepted.

As a result, the prosecutor requested that the defendant be held at Olokuta Correctional Center while the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issues a ruling.

In response, B.H. Awi, the defence attorney, asked the court for a delay so he could submit a counter-affidavit to the remand application.

The accused were then ordered to be held at Olokuta Correctional Center as the trial's magistrate, Damilola Sekoni, awaited guidance from the DPP's office.

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