Folashade Olalude, a woman, has been arraigned before Chief Magistrate O. Fowowe-Ersiafe, of an Ebute-Metta, Chief Magistrate Court, on a four count-charge of conspiracy, intend to steal, cyber-bullying and threatening to kill the businessman.
The defendant was arraigned in court by Force Criminal Investigation Department Force CID Annex Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos.
During her arraignment, the prosecution, Mr. Henry Obiazi, informed the court that defendant and others now at large, had between 2015 to 2022, conspired among themselves to commit the alleged offences.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant, Folashade Olalude, with an intent to steal, demanded over N5 million, at different occasions from one Alhaji Lawal Abdullateef, with a threat to blackmail and defame him and his wife, Lizzy Anjorin, on the internet as a fraudster or using bloggers websites, if he failed to pay the money.
Obiazi informed the court that the defendant, sometimes in October 2023, wrote a letter to the businessman, threatening to kill him. He added that the defendant also sent the same threat message to Alhaji Lawal Abdullateef’s phone.
The prosecutor informed the court that offences committed by the defendant, contravened sections 411, 301 and 232 of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015, and punishable under the same laws.
But, defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when the charges were read to her.
After her plea of not guilty, the prosecutor asked for her remand in prison custody the custody, pending the determination of the charges against her, while also asking the court for a trial date.
However, counsel to the defendant, I. S. Ijenkeri, pleaded with the court to admit the defendant to bail in the most liberal terms, saying that the charges against her are bailable ones.
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Chief Magistrate Fowowe-Ersiafe, in her ruling, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum, and among others.
The court also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri female prison, pending when she perfects her bail conditions.
Chief Magistrate Fowowe-Ersiafe also adjourned the matter to March 14, for trial.
The charges preferred against the defendant read: “That you, Folashade Olalude ‘F’ and others still at large, between 2015 and 2022 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit; demanding property with menace with intent to steal and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
“That you Folashade Olalude ‘F’ and others still at large within the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district, did with intent to steal, demands the sum of over N5million at different occasions from one Alhaji Lawal Abdullateef ‘m’ with threats of injury or publishing his name on the internet as a fraudster or using bloggers websites to defame his character and reputations of his wife Lizzy Anjorin if the demands are not met and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 301 of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
