Alleged Gold Theft: Police clear actress Lizzy Anjorin

About eight months after she was accused of stealing gold and engaging in a fraudulent transaction at the Idumota Market, actress Lizzy Anjorin-Lawal has been cleared by the police.

The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

In February, some traders at the Idumota Market on Lagos Island accused the actress of stealing gold and conducting a fake transaction worth N91,000.

Lizzy, however, denied the allegations and described them as ‘ridiculous.”

She further alleged that her colleague, Iyabo Ojo — whom she had been having an online feud with — set her up at the Idumota Market.

However, the two actresses reconciled their differences in June.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday night, Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed that police investigation revealed the actress did not steal any property.

He said the seller provided the actress with an incorrect account number.

“There was no case of stealing to start with,” he said. “Our investigation revealed that the seller of the goods gave the wrong account number. Out of the 10 digits the person was to provide, one digit was given wrongly and our investigation revealed that Lizzy Anjorin-Lawal did the transfer to the wrong account number.”

Court case

When asked about the six traders arrested and charged in connection with the case, the police spokesperson said: “I mentioned that when it turned out that it was a mistake of facts and that they called her a thief in error, Liz took it up but she withdrew her interest in the case.

“So the case was not taken. It was withdrawn from court. So there is no case again. The case has been withdrawn.”

This newspaper gathered that six traders arrested in connection with the accusations were initially arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos Island Local Government.

They were charged and arraigned for allegedly assaulting and blackmailing the actress during her visit to purchase clothing materials in the market.

The defendants – Qudus Jokogbola, Suru Olawale, Edu Shakirat, Fausat Mohammed, Kafayat Ahmed, and Opere Morenike — were charged, while two other suspects remain at large.

Sola Samuel, the lead prosecutor, told the court that the six defendants, along with the two fugitives, conspired to commit the offence by forcefully pushing and dragging the actress, causing her significant bodily harm inside the market.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their lawyer requested that bail be granted on the most lenient terms, emphasising that they were mere traders.

The magistrate granted the bail to the defendants.

The withdrawal of the case thus means they no longer have a case to answer in court.

Why I withdraw the case

Reacting to the development, Lizzy, in a video posted on her Instagram page Friday, explained that she withdrew the case after being informed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that justice would not be served to the suspected traders.

She said neither she nor her lawyer was provided with an explanation by the DPP for this decision.

“I don’t want to say much but rather make an official statement. The reason behind this was the decision of the DPP; the decision of the DPP was very wrong because I was a witness and victim and I was to be a witness in the court but the DPP said no prosecution and I had to withdraw the case and that’s a smart move. If I didn’t withdraw and allow the DPP to strike out the case I may not leave to fight tomorrow.

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“I lost something terrible but I don’t know why the DPP said there’s no prosecution. The issue was a set-up because I had a receipt of the transfer I did on 17 November. The reason the DPP said they should not prosecute the suspects remained unknown till now. It now remains for the DPP to tell Nigerians why no justice must be served to them because it’s a crime case and it shouldn’t be swept under the carpet.”

She also expressed her gratitude to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the police, and all others involved in clearing her of the allegations.