Woman visits herbalist over failing business, he defrauds her of ₦8 million

The victim also claimed the convict sexually assaulted her and slept with her severally.

An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates' Court, on Tuesday, sentenced a 58-year-old herbalist, Nurudeen Ibrahim, to five years imprisonment with hard labour for fraud.

Ibrahim was arraigned before the court on August 2, 2022, on three count charge of conspiracy, fraud and indecent assault.

Delivering judgment, the Magistrate, Olatomiwa Daramola said, "I find the defendant not guilty for offence of conspiracy, he is discharged and acquitted. However, he is found guilty of the offence of obtaining by false pretences to wit fraud, and convicted accordingly.

"He is hereby sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour, or an option of restitution of the sum of ₦8 million, being the amount the convict admitted to have obtained from the victim, which the court has found to be under false pretence, in lieu of imprisonment.

"On the Toyota Camry Car, which was found to be proceed of crime, the court is empowered by Section 296 (b) of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2014, to order that it be applied as part of the sum of ₦8 million, due to the complainant, and I so hold," Daramola said.

The prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, had during trial told the court that the convict, and others now at large, committed the offences sometime in September 2019, in Aramoko-Ekiti.

He said the convict and others now at large conspired to commit felony, by false pretext obtained ₦10.4 million from the complainant, and indecently assaulted her.

According to him, the offences, contravened Sections 516, 419, and 353 of the Criminal Code Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012.

He said that the complainant in her testimony before the court, said that she was a businesswoman, based in Lagos, but in September 2019, when her business suffered some setback, her father invited her home to Aramoko-Ekiti, and introduced her to the herbalist for assistance.

"Thereafter, I discovered he had used charm on me; he was collecting my money, on the pretext of finding solution to my problems.

"He sexually assaulted me and slept with me severally. I sold my cars and house among others to the sum of ₦10.4 million, which he collected from me.

"He also collected some of my personal belongings and gave to his wife. I bought a car for him from the proceeds of my sold properties, with evidence.

"When I became seriously sick, I begged him to please give me part of the money to take care of myself, but he refused, and instead threatened my life if I informed anyone of what had transpired between us," she said.

To prove his case, Adejare called seven witnesses, and tendered statements of the complainant, her photographs on sick bed, some charms and fetish objects, Toyota Camry car and the defendant's statement as exhibits.

The convict gave evidence in his own defence and denied some of the allegations during examination in chief by his counsel, Busuyi Ayorinde.

He, however, admitted to obtaining ₦8 million from the businesswoman and called one witness to give evidence on his behalf.