Osogbo Court Remands 19-Year-Old for Alleged ₦326,000 Online Fraud

By Adedamola Odeyemi

A Magistrate Court sitting at Oke-Fia, Osogbo, has ordered the remand of a 19-year-old, Olaniyan Taoheed, over allegations of defrauding a family of ₦326,000 through an online investment scam.

The suspect, according to police prosecutors, posed as an investor and manipulated a teenager into repeatedly transferring money to him.

Taoheed was arraigned on Monday on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and stealing—offences said to be contrary to Sections 419 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34 Vol. II, Laws of Osun State, 2003.

The prosecutor, Inspector Adepoju Kayode, told the court that the young suspect acted with clear intent to defraud.

“The defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of ₦326,000 from the complainant’s family through deceitful online claims,” he said.

The complainant, Baruwa Augustine Oluwabukola, narrated to the court how the suspect gained access to her 16-year-old daughter through a school-related WhatsApp group before luring the teenager into a fake investment scheme.

Oluwabukola explained that she had initially warned her daughter not to engage with the suspect. “I told her to block him immediately because I knew it was a scam,” she said.

Despite the warning, the teenager allegedly transferred ₦2,000 from her personal account to the suspect after he promised a return of ₦25,000.

When she demanded her profit, the suspect reportedly claimed that there was a problem with the platform and urged her to reinvest to unlock the returns.

The mother told the court that her daughter fell for the scam repeatedly, eventually transferring a total of ₦324,000 from her mother’s account to the suspect. “It was shocking to discover that the money had been going out in small portions until it added up to ₦324,000,” she said.

Inspector Adepoju added that investigations confirmed that the defendant received the funds and used deceptive tactics to convince the teenager to continue sending money. “He exploited her trust with false promises of quick profit,” the prosecutor said.

However, Taoheed told the court that he had refunded ₦200,000 of the money to the prosecutor for safekeeping, adding that he had spent part of the remaining money on a smartphone.

Presiding Magistrate, Dr. Olusegun Ayilara, assured the complainant that efforts would be made to recover the remaining money. “The court will ensure that the complainant receives her money back as the case proceeds,” the magistrate stated.

Ayilara, during his ruling, faulted the 16-year-old girl for seeking quick-money schemes and advised the mother to guide her daughter properly. He also condemned the actions of the 19-year-old suspect, warning that fraudulent practices cannot replace hard work.

The magistrate subsequently ordered that the suspect be remanded in a Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till February 19. He further ruled that the accused must provide a surety with a three-year tax clearance and a valid identity card, and must pay a bail sum of ₦500,000 to the court.