Ondo court jails woman for selling ex-lover’s vehicle, orders N2.8m compensation

By Boye Oyeyemi

An Akure Chief Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a woman, Rukayat Temitope Lawal, to one year imprisonment for unlawfully selling a Toyota Sienna belonging to her former lover and employer, Jubril Ogundana, who is based in the United States.

Chief Magistrate Lateef Abu delivered the judgment in suit number MAK/NC/483C/2022, finding Lawal guilty of converting the vehicle to her personal use and subsequently selling it without the owner’s consent.

The case stemmed from a former romantic and business relationship between Lawal and Ogundana, who relocated to the United States in 2018. According to the complainant, he imported the Toyota Sienna into Nigeria in 2020 and entrusted it to the defendant while he remained abroad.

The prosecution, led by Oniyere Taiwo, accused Lawal of conspiracy, forgery and stealing. It alleged that she falsely claimed ownership of the vehicle, valued at N2.8 million, and relied on documents, including an alleged forged marriage certificate, to support her claim.

During the trial, Ogundana denied ever being married to Lawal, maintaining that she was only his girlfriend and employee. The prosecution presented four witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including vehicle registration documents and records obtained from the marriage registry of Ekiti East Local Government Area.

In his judgment, Chief Magistrate Abu held that the prosecution had successfully established ownership of the vehicle through registration documents showing that the Toyota Sienna was registered in the complainant’s name.

The court further ruled that although Lawal claimed she contributed to the purchase of the vehicle, the evidence before the court clearly showed that Ogundana remained the lawful owner. The magistrate held that the defendant fraudulently converted and sold the vehicle while ownership issues were still being contested.

Consequently, the court sentenced Lawal to one year imprisonment with an option of a N100,000 fine. The court also ordered her to pay N2.8 million in compensation to the complainant, representing the value of the vehicle she unlawfully sold.