Fashola, Aregbesola and The suspect
A 53-year-old primary school teacher, Mrs. Asogbon Abosede, has been arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly impersonating the wives of Lagos and Osun states governors and defrauding officials of the Lagos State Government.
Abosede, a Grade 10 teacher, was said to have committed the crime between June and July 2013 through text messages in which she claimed to be Mrs. Abimbola Fashola and Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola.
The accused allegedly influenced her redeployment from a primary school in Alimosho area of the state to the Lagos State Basic Education Board by sending text messages to the Chairman of SUBEB, presenting herself as Fashola and later as Aregbesola.
The request was said to have been granted as she was redeployed soon afterwards.
The police also said among the many sins of the accused was that she sent more text messages to the Chairman of Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, and the Education Secretary of Alimosho, as Fashola, demanding Ramadan gifts.
The LCDA chairman, in response to the SMS, was said to have sent N100, 000, while the Education Secretary, sent three BlackBerry phones valued at N105,000.
The charges further stated that Abosede also impersonated Aresgbesola’s younger sister and misinformed another woman that Aregbesola was involved in a road accident.
The charge read in part, “That you, Asogbon Absosede,f,a Grade Level 10 School Teacher, sometimes in the month of June 2013, falsely representing yourself as sister to Her Excellency, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, First Lady of Osun State, gave false information to one Gbolahan Khadijat Daudu(Mrs) that Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola was involved in a road accident and could not attend wedding of Mrs. Gbolahan Dauda’s son, saying her the gifts were carted away as a result of the accident.”
The police said the offence was punishable under Section 96(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the ten counts.
The defence counsel, Mr. Gbolahan Samuel, urged the court to discountenance the content of the charges because it was a waterless paper tiger.
The lawyer prayed the court to grant the accused bail in liberal terms.
The prosecutor, Mr. Babatunde Sunmonu, however objected to it.
The Magistrate, Mrs. E. Fabanwo, observed that the charges were grievous, saying each of them could attract three to 15 years jail term.
Fabanwo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties, whom, she said, must deposit N1m each, while one of them must have landed property in Lagos State with a government approved Certificate of Occupancy.
The matter was adjourned till September 2, 2013.
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