Travel Agent Convicted For Swindling 46 Mecca-Bound Pilgrims

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has convicted a travel agent, Alhaji Sharafadeen Irorun, for allegedly defrauding 46 Muslim pilgrims bound for Mecca to the tune of N7.5 million.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the presiding judge, Justice Oyindamola Ogala, found Irorun guilty on four of the 12-counts charge brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

Justice Ogala held that the prosecution sufficiently established that the defendant and others, who are at large, are members of a criminal group and convicted Irorun on Counts 1, 2, 5 and 6.

“The defendant and others who are at large are a members of a criminal group, who unwittingly dispossessed innocent persons of their money under the pretense of helping them undergo the Hajj pilgrimage.”

The Prosecution, led by O. A. Azeez,  brought three witnesses to the Court, including the first, and second prosecution witnesses (PW1, PW2) who were among the claimants who contributed the money which the third prosecution witness (PW3), Alhaji Lukman Abdulkareem, gave to the defendant.

The judge found that the PW1 and PW2 had no direct involvement with the defendant but supported the evidence of the PW3 who was involved with the defendant and whose evidence she called “succinct and direct.”

“It is also clear to the Court that the evidence of PW1 and PW2 are fair, consistent to the case and indeed corroborate the evidence of the PW3.”
However, the judge acquitted Irorun of the other eight counts for insufficient evidence to convict.

While delivering her judgement, Ogala said the PW3 told the Court that 46 people including himself had contributed money and paid the sum of N7.5 million to the defendant for the procurement of forms from the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Board in 2014.

Ogala stated  that PW2 gave evidence that he gave N800,000 to PW3 to help him pay for the Hajj pilgrimage for eight people after their original arrangement to secure seats failed.

She said that the PW3 told the court that he discovered he had been scammed after he requested officials to give him the bag gifts meant for the pilgrims and was told that their names were not on the list.

The PW3 told the Court that he reported the incident to the Police and they tracked down the defendant to his hometown residence in Osun State, where they discovered other Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Board forms that were fake.

Ogala noted that the defendant’s counsel, S. M. Olatunji, told the Court that the prosecution did not bring the Investigating Police Officer to the Court to give evidence. She said Olatunji told the Court that the defendant did not take money from the claimants.

The judge said that she has considered the evidence and held that the prosecution had established that the defendant is part of a criminal group that scams people of their money under the pretext of pilgrimage.

Ogala adjourned the matter to May 22, 2024, for sentencing and ordered parties to address the Court on the convict.