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Eyinatayo Iluyomade, a 19-year-old Lagos-based comedian, has been arrested and charged to court for saying an expensive joke.<\/p>\n
The skit maker was alleged to have dropped a threat note of robbery at First Bank\u2019s Sabo branch counter, in Ondo town, on Friday.<\/p>\n
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident in an interview with Premium Times on Monday.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Ondo State police<\/strong>\u00a0spokesperson said that the skit maker made a very expensive and sensitive joke that would not be condoned.<\/p>\n She said Mr Iluyomade dropped a note at the bank indicating that by 1 p.m. on the said day, his armed robbery gang members would come to rob the bank.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the note, he wrote we are coming to rob, and there\u2019s nothing your police can do. It was a mad move considering the insecurity situation in Nigeria and Ondo State.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know his stage name. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s a known comedian, but he has been charged to court. He is currently standing trial, and the outcome would be made public,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Reports say he was taken to court by the police on three count-charge bordering on conspiracy, threat, and manner likely to pose a security threat.<\/p>\n Akao Moremi, the police prosecutor, told the court that the note posed a security threat to the First Bank\u2019s Sabo branch in Ondo town and caused all banks operating in Ondo to shut down for the whole day.<\/p>\n The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.<\/p>\n Information also says that the trial magistrate, Mosunmola Ikujuni, refused a bail application pending the apprehension of other members of the \u2018criminal gang\u2019.<\/p>\n The defendant told the court that he is a comedian and that the note he dropped at the First Bank was a prank, adding that he had been doing this in Lagos until he relocated to Ondo town.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cNo other gang wanted to rob the bank as it was written in the note.\u201d<\/p>\n Iluyomade pleaded with the court to forgive him and promised not to play such a prank again.<\/p>\n Recently, Ondo State has been the hotbed of bank robberies and gun violence.<\/p>\n About two weeks ago, gunmen killed a police officer during a midnight attack on a police division in Okuta Elerinla, Akure, Ondo State.<\/p>\n Mrs Odunlami, the police spokesperson in the state, said the attack occurred at 1 a.m.<\/p>\n Gunmen also carried out a deadly attack on 5 June at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo.<\/p>\n No less than 41 persons lost their lives in the attack, while several others were injured.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\nPrank gone wrong<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n