By Babatunde Solanke
A 40-year-old university former Librarian, Adedeji Ogunleye, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for selling the institution’s book by Ekiti State Chief Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti District.
Ogunleye was arraigned before the court presided over by Magistrate Olatomiwa Daramola, on a two-count charge of stealing and fraud on January 9, 2023.
According to the charge, Ogunleye stole and fraudulently obtained N17.5m being the money accrued from sales of the university books and converted the money to personal use.
The prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, said, “The offences contravened sections 302 and 329 (3) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
Adejare called four witnesses and tendered auditor’s statements and report, university bookshop receipts among others as exhibits.
The Ogunleye, who was granted bail at arraignment jumped the bail, while all efforts made to prove his innocence before the court proved abortive.
In the judgment, Daramola, said, “This court is fortified with the decision in the case of Maina Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria (2022) LPELR-58942 (CA) to deliver this judgment in the absence of the defendant”.
“I find the defendant guilty and I convict him accordingly. He is hereby sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour or an option of restitution in the sum of N17,466,692.46,”. Daramola added.
The restitution, the court said, was in favour of the university bookshop being the amount the court found to have been stolen by the defendant in lieu of imprisonment.
The judge pronounced, “All security agencies are hereby put on alert to apprehend the fugitive wherever and whenever sighted to serve his term of imprisonment.”