A 43-year-old event planner, Miss Omolola Shittu, is currently biting her fingers for jilting a 55-year-old man, Prince Hilary Unachukwu with whom she had enjoyed benefits of love affair since August 2012.
Omolola, who was charged alongside one Raphael Oge, 51, on a three-count charge bothering on stealing and threat to life of her ex-lover, however, pleaded not guilty before the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Adedayo, and was remanded in prison custody till perfection of bail.
According to Charge No. A/38A/2014, the duo conspired to commit felony to wit: stealing of Honda Accord End of Discussion saloon car valued at N1.6 million and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.
The matter was adjourned till September 8.
Count two read: “That you Omolola Shittu on January 19, 2014 at about 7:00am at 14, Eric Manuel Crescent, off Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal a refrigerator (N72,500), gas cooker (N85,200), TEC generator (N66,500), washing machine (N120,800) and another TEC generator (N91,200) all valued at N503,200, the property of the said Prince Hilary Unachukwu.
Omolola’s account
Speaking to Vanguard, Omolola said: “I never knew it was a crime to date someone older. I have been in this relationship since August 2012 and it has been hell. Any time I tell him I do not want to continue with the relationship, he would threaten me.
“It was my attempt to terminate the love affair with Unachukwu that led to my being charged to court for stealing a car he bought for me as Valentine’s gift and property acquired during the relationship.
“On Valentine’s day last year, he bought me a Honda Accord End of Discussion saloon car as a gift. I was in his house at 8, Ojora Road, Ikoyi, Lagos when he presented the car to me.
“However, since then he had abused me severally.
“Actually, the 2nd defendant (Oge) who brought the car to the house is now being accused of conspiring with me to steal it because he refused to write another receipt in Unachukwu’s name, since a receipt was issued initially in my name before the break-up of the relationship.
“I was arrested by policemen from Zone II on June 20, 2014 and I had to spend three nights before they took me to Igbosere magistrate’s court. I was later taken to Kirikiri Prison on August 11, 2014.
“The first day I arrived Kirikiri Prison, waiting for my bail bond to be perfected, a prison warder scraped my hair, took me to somewhere to pack faeces, and later gave me prison uniform in which they took my photograph.
“Prince Hilary said until he saw me go to jail, he would keep bringing different charges against me. He said he would make sure that he spends everything he has to see me go to jail. He said there was no police in this country that could arrest him because they are all his boys. Now, I do not know what to do.
“There was one time he threatened me and my younger sister with a gun. He has been calling and sending threatening messages that except he is not Hilary Unachukwu, that is when I will survive. But if that is his name, I will never survive. My life and my child’s life are at stake.”
…Petitions Lagos CP
Meanwhile, in a letter to the former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr Umaru Manko, dated July 15, 2014, by the defendant’s counsel, Mrs Iyabode Shonubi, entitled: “Threats to the life of Omolola Shittu,” Hilary was said to have sought to reconcile with the defendant but she vehemently refused.
The letter read in part: “Due to our client’s refusal to accept Prince Hilary’s return into her life, Prince Hilary framed up several untruths, including accusing our client of stealing household items and a Honda car. The charge is before the chief magistrate’s court, Igbosere and was filed by officers at Zone II, Nigeria Police Force.”
Iyabode noted that on the next adjourned date when Omolola was supposed to appear in court, Prince Hilary had called the defendant and gave her the impression that the matter has been settled amicably.
“On getting to court, she actually did not want to go to court because she thought the matter had been settled amicably but we refused that she has to be in court. We realised that another charge had been brought to include threat to Prince Hilary’s life.
“The implication of her not being in court on that adjourned date would mean that the magistrate would issue a bench warrant for her to be arrested. It would have been worst.
“Despite her being in court as an obedient citizen, the magistrate re-arrested her in court and said the previous bail was terminated. We persuaded the magistrate that our client should continue on the previous bail but she said no that we need to arrange for another bail.”
