Bet Naija Attendant, Friend Arraigned For Allegedly Stealing N16.7m Winnings

The Lagos State Police Command said it had arraigned a Bet Naija attendant, Bojuwoye Adetola and her friend, Bunmi Dada, for allegedly conspiring and stealing the sum of N16.7m from a man, Lukman Issa who played a bet in their outlet in the Iddo area of Lagos State.

The defendants, Adetola and Dada, were arraigned on Monday before Magistrate F.F. George on two counts bordering on stealing.

The police prosecutor, James Okosun, told the court that the two women along with the others currently at large committed the offence between September 12 and 24, 2023 in the Iddo area of Lagos Island.

According to Okosun, the offences contravene and are punishable under Sections 411 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of the Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

Our correspondent gathered that the complainant, Issa, played 36 games on September 12 and won all of them days later. However, when he went to the shop and met Adetola, the Bet Naija attendant, to collect his cash, he was told to come back and get the first N800,000 but ended up getting no penny to date.

“I went to the Bet Naija shop to see Adetola; her boss is abroad, so she is the only one there. She said I should come back and collect the first N800,000. I went there but she did not give me any money. I noticed she had been taking the money bit by bit and had planned with her friends to finish the money and not give me any dime.

“I went to the Bet Naija head office to report but they did not give me any helpful information, all I know is that she collected my money, all N16.7 million that I won,” the businessman who sells Aso-Oke told our correspondent over the phone.

The charges against the defendants read, “That you Bojuwoye Adetola, 25, Bunmi Dada, 24, and others still at large between September 12 and 24, 2023 at the Iddo area of Lagos Island in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the criminal laws of the Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you Bojuwoye Adetola, 25, Bunmi Dada, 24, on the same date, place and time, in the Lagos Magisterial District did steal the sum of N16, 705, 000, 00, property of Lukman Issa and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges after it was read to them in the English Language.

The magistrate, George, granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties each in like sum.

George also adjourned the case till March 4, 2024 for mention.