A Lagos State Magistrate Court in Tinubu has arraigned 35-year-old prophetess Folake Olasode and 31-year-old schoolteacher Damilola Aboloyinijo on charges of preparing a fake charm for protection and defrauding a victim of N8 million.
The defendants are facing five charges brought against them by the police: conspiracy, theft, obtaining money under false pretenses, unlawful assault, and breach of public peace.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Francis Igbinosa, who presented the case, alleged that the offenses occurred in May 2024. He stated that Olasode and Aboloyinijo, whose addresses were not disclosed, conspired to commit these crimes at 7A Jide Agbalaya Street, Chevy-View, Lekki, Lagos.
Igbinosa further alleged that the defendants, along with others still at large, deceived a victim, Sarah Umeh, into paying N8 million under the guise of preparing protective charms and performing incisions on her and her three children, falsely claiming these actions would protect them from death.
The prosecution also accused the defendants of assaulting Umeh and her children by using a razor blade to make incisions on their bodies while claiming these were for their protection. In addition, the defendants allegedly engaged in actions likely to disturb public peace by burning charms in Umeh’s compound.
The charges against Olasode and Aboloyinijo violate Sections 411, 314, 287, 172, and 168(d) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Their lawyer, Moses Enema, sought bail on the grounds that they were first-time offenders and should be granted bail on liberal terms. Magistrate Aderemi Gbajumo granted bail in the sum of N750,000 each, with two sureties per defendant, also in the same amount.
Magistrate Gbajumo also required the sureties to provide proof of a valid means of livelihood and identification. The defendants must present evidence of Lagos State Residents’ Registration, and their addresses will be verified by the prosecutor.