Ify Bosco docked for Criminal Intimidation

The Chief Executive Officer of Ify Bosco Nigeria Limited, Boniface Ifeanyi Okoli of Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ilorin, has been dragged before an Upper Area Court sitting in Ilorin for allegedly cheating his apprentice.
The accused was also alleged of intimidating the victim by threatening to deal with him and make life miserable for him.
Bosco was brought before the court on a two-count allegation of cheating and criminal intimidation, contrary to Sections 323 and 397 of the Penal Code Law.
He was accused of entering into an agreement with the victim, Ibeh Chinedu Felix of Saw-Mill Area, Ilorin, to serve him as an apprentice for a period of five years after which he will issue the victim a discharge certificate and equally give him (victim) his entitlements to enable him start his own business.

According to the victim, in line with the agreement he resumed work on November 8, 2010 at the accused’s head office, Taiwo Road, Ilorin, and by April, 2011 he had become the right hand man of the accused due to his satisfactory performance which made him (accused) to appoint the victim to head his new office, Orange Man Sanitary Wears Wares Limited, Unity Road, Ilorin and another branch at Sango Area, Ilorin.

The victim started further that in October, 2015 when the period of five years apprenticeship came to an end by effluxion of time, he reminded the accused of the agreement but the accused asked him to wait till November, 2015 so that the stock can be taken of the goods in his custody.

But, to the surprise of the victim, sometimes in January, 2016 when he demanded the accused to fulfil his obligation under the apprenticeship agreement, the accused resorted to all kinds of intimidation and threaten his life.

The victim was also said to have written a letter to the accused through his counsel, Barrister Olushola Abifarin demanding for his entitlement and issuance of discharge certificate but all to no avail.

Counsel to the victim, Barrister Olushola Abifarin, prayed the court for another date to enable him prove the allegation against the accused.
The defence counsel, S.A. Akanbi had earlier prayed the court to admit the accused to bail pending the determination of the case. He argued that the 1999 Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria still presumed the accused innocent of the alleged offences until proved otherwise.

The presiding judge, Mrm R.O. Bakare agreed with the submission of the defence, as he exercised its bail discretion in favour of the accused and admitted him to bail at the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in the same amount.

The court therefore adjourned the case till July 19 for further mention.