By Gwurld4026 
Two-Week Imprisonment for Fake Prophet’s Handbag Crime
On March 17, 2025, the Iyaganku Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan sentenced 39-year-old Ezekiel Onikoyi to two weeks imprisonment for stealing a woman’s handbag containing a phone, power bank, and ₦4,000.
Onikoyi, posing as a prophet, approached Ms. Balikis Adeoti, who was returning from work, claiming to have a revelation for her. He instructed her to place her bag down and proceed to a nearby junction to pray, leaving a ₦100 note at the spot to resolve her purported problems.
Complying with his instructions, Ms. Adeoti returned to find both Onikoyi and her bag missing. The stolen items included a phone and power bank valued at ₦220,000, along with ₦4,000 in cash.
Upon his arrest, the power bank was recovered from Onikoyi; however, the phone remained unaccounted for. He pleaded guilty to charges of stealing, obtaining money under false pretenses, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. Magistrate Gladys Oladele sentenced him to two weeks in the Agodi Correctional Centre or, alternatively, one month of community service. Additionally, the court ordered that the recovered power bank be returned to Ms. Adeoti.