Painter bags 14-day jail term for playing ‘bet9ja’ without paying

An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday sentenced a 23-year-old painter, Oluwatobi Olaore, to 14 days’ imprisonment for playing N7,000 lotto (bet9ja) and refusing to pay.

The Magistrate, Mr Sam Obaleye, sentenced the painter who pleaded guilty to the charge.

Obaleye, however, gave the painter  an option of N20, 000 fine.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Adejoke Adebari, told the court that the painter  committed the offence on April 27 at 8:30p.m. at Ijaye area of Abeokuta.

Adebari said that the defendant entered into the shop of one Zainab Tejuoso and played bet9ja game of N7,000 knowing that he did not have any money to pay.

She submitted that the defendant also refused to drop the ticket he used to play the game, and was about running away when he was apprehended and handed over to the police.

The prosecutor added that the painter conducted himself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace.

She said that the offence contravened Section 249 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.