Herbalist, client in war of words over N500,000 fee

A mild drama unfolded at the Igando Police Division, weekend, after a 48-year-old herbalist, who was arrested for allegedly defrauding a 70-year-old woman of N500,000, engaged the complainant in a war of words.

Describing claims that he defrauded the 70-year-old woman as a lie, the suspect, Akin Babalola, placed his index finger on the ground, touched his tongue with same finger before lifting it to the sky, an expression, he said, was to indicate that he was saying the truth.

According to the Ogun State-born herbalist: “The complainant (names withheld) came to my house and asked that I pre-pare a love potion for her to win back her husband.

“She told me that her husband abandoned her for another woman, thereby saddling her with the responsibility of bringing up their children alone.”

However, trouble reportedly started after she waited for the supposed love potion in vain. The woman was said to have asked the herbalist to refund her money, but he refused and threatened, instead, to expose her.

Consequently, the matter was reported at the Igando Division leading to Babalola’s arrest.

Asked why he failed to keep his own side of the bargain, Babalola said “I do not want to incur God’s wrath because the love potion could lead to the man’s death.”

The woman insisted that the herbalist collected the money under false pretence.

The police charged Babalola to court on a three-count charge of felony, obtaining under false pretence and stealing.

He pleaded not guilty and Magistrate M. Folami, granted him N200,000 bail with two sureties in like sum and adjourned till May 18.