Between November 2004 to June 2005 Brigadier General Bamaiyi, while serving prison sentence at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos state, was defrauded of the sum of $330,000 through the criminal fraternity of the duo of Fred Ajudua, a controversial socialite and Oluronke Rosolu, a former registrar to Justice Joseph Oyewole.
Following the uncovering of this crime, the anti-graft agency of Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed a suit with the Federal High Court in Lagos state seeking the imprisonment of the accused.
In a ruling delivered by the court presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo on Monday December 21st, the accused was sentenced to 10years imprisonment been the maximum term deserving of such crime under law. Reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reveal that Rosolu was convicted on all two counts charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Lateef while delivering ruling said: " the representation that she never collected $330,000 from the complainant is deceptive; the accused could not provide a strong alibi for her whereabouts when the fraud occurred.
“I find the accused guilty as charged.
“As a registrar of court, the accused should have been an image maker of the judiciary, but she acted in the contrary.
“She has to swallow her bitter pill.
“On count one, I sentence the accused to 10 years imprisonment and on count two I sentence the accused to 10 years imprisonment.
“Both sentences are to run concurrently "
On hearing the sentence and coming to reality of her fate, Rosolu collapsed in the dock wailing in her native Yoruba language saying: " I do not know anything about the money, what is going to happen to my children.”
Her lawyer, Bamidele Ogundele tried to fan the embers of humanly emotions when he pleaded with the judge for leniency saying: “My Lord, my client is a first-time offender without any criminal record and she has four children as dependants.
“My Lord, the society will not gain if her four children are abandoned without motherly care.
“She has been on suspension from the judiciary for over a year and she is retiring next year after 34 years of active service in the judiciary" but counsel to the EFCC, E.E Iheanacho, insisted that the judge ensure that the accused served the maximum sentence when he submitted thus “The crime for which the accused is being charged carries a mandatory sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
“In the circumstance, we will be urging the court to sentence her accordingly,” the EFCC lawyer argued.
Two forensic experts from the EFCC had also testified during the trial that Mrs. Rosolu had failed a polygraph test.
The accused however denied ever knowingnor having any dealings with Brig.Gen. Bamaiyi or Fred Ajudua.
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