A 39-year-old man, Ezekiel Onikoyi, has been sentenced to two weeks in prison for stealing a woman’s handbag, which contained a phone, a power bank, and ₦4,000.
Onikoyi, whose address was not provided, was charged with theft, fraud, and conduct likely to cause a public disturbance. He pleaded guilty to all charges.
During Monday’s hearing at the Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Magistrate Gladys Oladele ruled that Onikoyi would serve two weeks in jail at Agodi Correctional Centre. However, she gave him the option of a one-month community service instead. The court also ordered that the stolen power bank be returned to the victim.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on March 14 at the old Toll Gate along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway. Onikoyi, posing as a prophet, approached the victim, Mrs. Balikis Adeoti, who was on her way home from work. He claimed to have a divine message for her and instructed her to drop her bag, walk a short distance, and pray, leaving a ₦100 note at the spot for her “problems to be solved.”
Trusting him, Adeoti followed his instructions. But by the time she returned, both Onikoyi and her bag were gone.
The bag contained a phone, a power bank worth ₦220,000, and ₦4,000 in cash. While the police later recovered the power bank, the phone was never found.
Prosecutor Sgt. Samuel Owolabi told the court that Onikoyi was arrested and charged under Sections 390 (9), 419, and 249 (d) of the Oyo State Criminal Law, 2000.
With the increasing number of scams like this, authorities are urging the public to be cautious of people claiming to have divine messages, especially in isolated areas.
