Barman in Ibadan gets 8 years jail term for illegal withdrawals from employer’s account

A 35-year-old bartender, Godwin Job, was on Tuesday sentenced to eight years in prison for illegally withdrawing the sum of N1,079,290 (One million, Seventy Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety Naira) from a Fidelity Bank account belonging to his boss, Olufemi Joseph Odusanya.

Job was convicted by Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court in a two-count charge bordering on stealing, filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.

Following an investigations into a petition from his estranged boss, the Commission arraigned Job on August 17, 2020 to answer for the criminal allegations against him.

The charges are: “Godwin Job (a.k.a Nifemi) “M’ sometime in August 2019 or there about, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this court did steal an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Card, property of Olufemi Joseph Odusanya, and thereby committed an offence Punishable under Section 390 (9) Criminal Code, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State 2000.”

“Godwin Job (a.k.a Nifemi) “M’ sometime in August 2019 or there about, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this court did steal the sum of One million, Seventy Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety Naira (N1,079,290), the property of Olufemi Joseph Odusanya, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 390 (9) Criminal Code, Cap 38 Law of Oyo State 2000.”

The boss had accused Job of stealing his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card through which he withdrew cash and made Point of Sales (POS) transactions totaling N1,079,290.

In the course of investigation, the Commission discovered that Job made 14 transactions within two hours to evacuate the said amount from the victim’s account.

Though he pleaded not guilty upon arraignment, the judge held that the prosecution was able to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that the accused indeed committed the unlawful act.

He then found him guilty as charged and sentenced him to four years in prison in each of the charges, which will run concurrently from the day of conviction.

He also ordered that Job refunds the money stolen to his victim.