Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court has sentenced the former Chief Accountant of Vanguard Newspaper, Bhadmus Abiodun, to 14-years in prison for forgery and stealing of N3.1million. The money belongs to the media house.
The Judge, in his ruling today, Tuesday, pronounced:“the defendant is hereby sentenced to seven years in prison on count one. He is sentenced to seven years in prison each for counts two to eight. The prison terms for counts two to eight are to run concurrently.”
Abiodun, a middle-aged man and a resident of No. 5, Tijani Ashogbon St., Bariga, Lagos was convicted of an eight-count charge of conspiracy. Two of the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are stealing and forgery.
He was initially arraigned alongside Samuel Ogbole, the Vanguard Media Representative in Onitsha. He absconded when bail was granted to the duo by the court after their arraignment. He remains at large.
According to the EFCC prosecutor, Abba Mohammed, Abiodun committed the offences alongside Ogbole between January 9, 2006 and January 4, 2008.
“The convict and his accomplice on various dates illegally converted the sum of N400,000, N2.5million and N120,000 belonging to the complainant.
“On January 16, 2007, the duo conspired to and forged a Wema Bank deposit slip with No. 7125699 purporting to be the value of N225, 165.
“On May 30, 2007, the men conspired to and forge a Wema Bank deposit slip with No. 3270712 purporting to be the value of N256, 850.
“The offences violated Sections 390 (7), 467 (2)(i) and 516 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State 2003,” Mohammed said.
NAN. [myad]
