August 15, (THEWILL) – A 19-year-old Lagos-based comedian, Eyinatayo Iluyomade, has landed in prison for pranking a branch of First Bank Plc in Ondo with a written notice of an impending robbery attack.
Iluyomade was charged to court by the police on three count-charges bordering on conspiracy, threat and manner likely to pose a security threat.
The Police prosecutor, Akao Moremi, told the court that the defendant dropped a written note at the bank, indicating that by 1 pm on the same date, his armed robbery gang members would come to rob the bank.
Moremi said the note posed a security threat to the First Bank’s Sabo branch, in Ondo town and also caused all banks operating in Ondo to shut down for the whole day.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. But the defence counsel, Hawkins Akinnugba, applied for the bail of the defendant in most liberal terms.
The bail application was, however, opposed by the police prosecutor on the ground that the defendant would temper with the cause of investigation of the matter as there were other criminal elements behind the threat.
The trial Magistrate, Mosunmola Ikujuni, refused the bail application pending the apprehension of other members of the criminal gang.
Ikujuni said, “if on the next adjournment date, the prosecution is yet to apprehend all other criminals involved in the matter, then the court will do the needful.
She, therefore, adjourned the case for ruling on the bail application.
The defendant, however, told the court that he is a comedian and that the note that he dropped at the First Bank branch was a prank, adding that he has been doing this in Lagos until he relocated to Ondo town.
He said, “This is the first time I am playing a prank in Ondo. No gang was going to rob the bank as written in the note.”
Iluyomade pleaded with the court to forgive him and he promised not to play such prank again.
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