A 19-year-old comedian from Lagos named Eyinatayo Iluyomade has been detained and charged with making an expensive joke (bank robbery prank ).
Ondo town’s Sabo branch counter of First Bank allegedly received a robbery threat note from the skit creator on Friday.
In an interview with Premium Times on Monday, Funmilayo Odunlami, the Ogun State Police Command’s police public relations officer, verified the occurrence.
According to the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police, the sketch creator made an expensive and sensitive joke that would not be tolerated.
She claimed that Mr. Iluyomade left a note at the bank stating that his armed robbery gang members will arrive to loot the bank at 1 p.m. on the specified day.
“In the note, he wrote we are coming to rob, and there’s nothing your police can do. It was a mad move considering the insecurity situation in Nigeria and Ondo State.”
“I don’t know his stage name. I don’t think he’s a known comedian, but he has been charged to court. He is currently standing trial, and the outcome would be made public,” she said.
Prank went wrong
According to reports, the police took him to court on three counts of conspiracy, making a threat, and acting in a way that could endanger security.
The police prosecutor, Akao Moremi, testified in court that the memo forced all banks operating in Ondo to close for the whole day because it constituted a security threat to the First Bank’s Sabo branch in Ondo town.
The accused entered a not guilty plea to the accusation leveled against him.
According to information, the trial magistrate, Mosunmola Ikujuni, denied a bail request until the capture of further “criminal gang” members.
The defendant said before the court that he is a comedian and that the note he left at the First Bank was a joke. He added that he had been carrying out this stunt in Lagos before moving to Ondo town.
He said, “No other gang wanted to rob the bank as it was written in the note.”
Iluyomade pleaded with the court to forgive him and promised not to play such a prank again.
Background
Recently, Ondo State has been the hotbed of bank robberies and gun violence.
About two weeks ago, gunmen killed a police officer during a midnight attack on a police division in Okuta Elerinla, Akure, Ondo State. Mrs. Odunlami, the police spokesperson in the state, said the attack occurred at 1 a.m.
Gunmen also carried out a deadly attack on 5 June at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo. No less than 41 persons lost their lives in the attack, while several others were injured.
Source: www.ghnewslive.com
