Two men, Rilwanu Jamiu and Balogun Stanley Oyewole, were on Wednesday arraigned by the Department of State Services, DSS, before an Isolo Magistrate Court for allegedly cloning the mobile line of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.
According to PM News, the suspects reportedly conspired with others now at large to commit the crime on February 10, 2016 and they were said to have attempted to perfect a N50 million transfer with the said mobile line before their arrest.
The DSS prosecuting counsel, Mr. Peter Okerinmodun, told the court that the suspects were arrested after using the cloned mobile line of the Governor to send a text message to the Accountant General of the State requesting for transfer of N50 million.
They were arraigned on a 2-count charge bothering on stealing and obtaining money under false pretext.
The first count reads: “That you Rilwanu Jamiu (M) of No 10, Giwa Street, Oka Akoko Street, Lagos and Balogun Stanley Oyewole (M) of No 65, Unity Street, Ikotun, Lagos and others at large on 10th February, 2016 about 1002hours at Lagos within Lagos Magisterial District, conspired to commit felony to wit: obtaining by false pretence and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 312 (2) and (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.”
The second count reads: “That you Rilwanu Jamiu, Balogun Stanley Oyewole of the above addresses, and others at large, on above date, time and place fraudulently cloned the Glo line of His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with intent to induce him by false pretence and used the Glo line to send a text message for the transfer of a sum of fifty million Naira (N50m) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 312 (2) and (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.”
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor reportedly asked that in view of the fact that their lives could be endangered by other suspects who were on the run, they should be kept in protective custody pending the outcome of the legal advice of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP.
But the Chief Magistrate, Adeola Adedayo, overruled the prosecutor’s plea, stating that the DSS ought to have kept them in custody judging by the fact that their lives could be in danger.
The Magistrate admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million each and two sureties in like sum, noting that the offence for which the accused persons were charged to court was bailable.
Adedayo, however, ordered the accused persons to be remanded in Kirikiri Prison pending the perfection of the conditions attached to their bail, stressing that one of the sureties must be a religious or community leader within the jurisdiction of the court, and that the accused persons must provide five years tax clearance certificates.
The case was adjourned to May 10, 2016.
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