Drama As Suspect Pleaded Guilty To Aregbesola’s Phone Theft, Impersonation

A mild drama played out at an Osun State High Court, sitting in Osogbo, when a middle-aged man, Kelvin Ighodalo, who was accused of stealing Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s phone pleaded guilty to the phone theft and impersonating the governor.

Ighadalo, who had earlier pleaded not guilty, when first arraigned on the allegations, changed his plea, when he was re-arraigned before the court last Tuesday.

The suspect entered a guilty plea to the six-count charge, which involved stealing, conspiracy, fraud and impersonation.

The charge sheet alleged that Ighodalo conspired with Babatunde Ogunjobi and Abdul Garfar Yusuf to steal the phone in Osogbo on November 27, 2010, when Aregbesola was being inaugurated as the governor of the state.

 Ighodalo was accused of impersonating Aregbesola and defrauding unsuspected members of the public with the stolen phone SIM card.

The suspect, while allegedly impersonating the governor with the stolen phone, defrauded the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran of the sum of N500,000.

He also obtained a sum of N200,000 from a close associate of the governor, Mr Shenge Rahman, who the suspect defrauded with the governor’s phone.

Defence counsel, Mr Remigus Ngwu, applied for the bail of the accused person, pleading that the suspect should be allowed to enjoy his freedom since he was yet to be convicted.

State prosecution counsel, Mr Biodun Badiora, objected the bail application, saying that the accused person had already jumped the bail earlier granted to him.

Badiora argued that releasing the accused person on bail might jeopardize the prosecution of the matter.

However, Justice Jide Falola adjourned the matter till April 17, 2013 for ruling on the bail and presentation of the case files.
Falola had asked Badiora to present the fact and files of the case, when the suspect pleaded guilty, but Badiora said the files were not available, praying the court to grant him a short adjournment.