A Lagos State High Court on Thursday sentenced a banker, Mr. Olawale Garuba, to 39 years imprisonment for stealing from the dead. He will, however, spend only three years in jail.
The convict was arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye alongside six others in July 2015 for conspiring among themselves to steal over N30m from the bank account of a deceased customer of a bank where the convict works.
The fraud was uncovered by the bank when they discovered that some of their employees, including the convict had connived with proxies to steal from a dormant account of one of the bank’s customers.
Upon the discovery of the fraud, the bank apprehended the employees and handed them over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for investigation and prosecution.
Upon their arraignment, they pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of fraud. Subsequently, Justice Ipaye refused their bail application and remanded them in prison custody.
However, on June 2, 2016, the convict changed his plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty’. He was immediately convicted by Justice Ipaye, who adjourned the case till Wednesday for sentencing. Counsel representing the convict, Olanrewaju Ajanaku, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client. He told the court that his client was a remorseful first time offender with a young wife and two little children.
However, prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, urged the court to consider the three-way traffic while tampering justice with mercy. That is the interests of the court, the victim and the convict.
After listening to the prayers of counsel, Justice Ipaye said despite the remorse shown by the convict, she has no sympathy for him as he compromised his position as a banker to steal from a deceased customer whose money would have been used by the family she left behind.
She added that the convict allowed his greed to overcome him and risk losing the job that thousands of job seekers were craving. She found the convict guilty on 13 of the 18 counts, and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently from the date of his first detention, which is July 24, 2015. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Is it not sad that in this same country under the same law, a politician who stole billions would receive a lesser term or not even see the bars of a jail cell. Something is obviously wrong with our justice system. Whose crime is worse? The one who stole from the dead or those stealing from the poor living masses? God is watching! His judgement is sure, though it may tarry.
ReplyDeleteHonestly until I start seeing politicians that stole go through thesame punishment, this kinds of convictions isn't impressive....
DeleteMy brother what this guy did is wrong,so is he unjustly sentenced? For you to steel from a dead person should have attracted a more severe punishment than a mere three years jail term .
DeleteBrother any form of stealing is wrong, the truth is that the the dead have no use for the money...the family of the dead could have used it though...politicians steal from living people daily and yet the justice system hardly punishes them...I feel a severe punishment should be metted out to ppl who steal from those that Need it...I.e the Nigerian people
DeleteHey people the dead has no need for money. If dead cares so much about he should carry it along with him/her as they go. Money is meant for the living period.
DeleteAllow the dead to seek redress if he is aggrieved.
while i don't support stealing but in Naija People that stole the wealth of the whole nation are allowed to move freely and even when caught, their names wouldn't be mentioned bcos they're so powerful. dia-ris God oooo
ReplyDeleteHmmm! I am not surprised why most bankers lived big. They monitor and account and if no transaction on this account for some years, they forge the signatures and withdraw the monies for themselves.
ReplyDeleteYoruba bankers are most involved in this type of scam. Take it or leave it!
Making such a sweeping statement shows shallow-mindedness!! For your claim to have any meaning (& not depict tribalism), pls support them with facts & figures!!
DeleteAbove the law things
ReplyDeleteStealing has nothing to do with tribe all I can say stealing should be discouraged in naija but our judiciary system are not trying at all.
ReplyDeleteStealing has nothing to do with tribe we should all discouraged stealing in naija but our judiciary system need strengthen.
ReplyDeleteStealing has nothing to do with tribe all I can say stealing should be discouraged in naija but our judiciary system are not trying at all.
ReplyDelete