Ariket: Popular Socialite and Businesswoman Jailed 45 Years for Substance Smuggling
- Renowned businesswoman and socialite Funmilayo Arike Ogbuaya, aka Ariket, has been jailed in Nigeria several years after her arrest
- The convict had been accused of being involved in the export of hard substances from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia along with her associates
- Funmilayo Arike Ogbuaya, aka Ariket's hefty jail sentence has triggered mixed reactions from numerous social media users
Popular socialite and businesswoman Funmilayo Arike Ogbuaya, better known as Ariket, has been jailed for 45 years by a court in Nigeria.
Source: Facebook
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced the owner of D Square Event Centre, Zu-Ket Homes, and D Square following legal proceedings.
Why was businesswoman Ariket jailed in Nigeria?
Ariket was sentenced to prison for her involvement in smuggling hard substances weighing 1.595kg to Saudi Arabia.
The court ruled that the case against her was proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge said:
"The prosecution has proved all the essential ingredients of the offences charged against the convict."
The businesswoman was found guilty after a trial that stemmed from the arrest of her co-defendant, Odeyemi Omolara (also known as Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi), at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in February 2017.
According to Justice Dipeolu, Ariket will serve a 15-year jail term on each of three counts, including conspiracy, possession, and unlawful exportation of the substance.
Her sentence will run concurrently, starting from 2017, when she was first arrested for her role in criminal activities.
The Instagram post detailing Ariket's 45-year jail term is below:
Nigerian businesswoman Ariket's arrest and aftermath
Ariket was indicted by a co-defendant, Odeyemi Omolara, a.k.a. Ariyo Monsurat Olabisi, who confessed during her arrest on February 23, 2017, that Ariket was her master who gave her the substances for export to Saudi Arabia.
The co-defendant was also sentenced to 25 years in prison then, and a security guard at Ariket’s residence testified against her, stating that Omolara slept at the socialite’s house the night before her arrest at the airport.
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The guard also accused the businesswoman of personally driving Omolara to the airport on the day she got arrested and said that the bag used for the smuggling operation was delivered earlier by unidentified persons.
In her defence, Ariket admitted knowing Omolara but denied involvement in substance smuggling.
She claimed she only gave her money for assistance and was unaware of any substances despite dropping her at the airport on the day of the arrest.
Her lawyer, Yakubu Galadima, pleaded for leniency, citing her status as a first-time offender with dependents.
However, the court ruled in line with the law, upholding her conviction on all counts.
Ariket's 45-year jail sentence stirs reactions
YEN.com.gh has gathered some comments from social media users below:
Supercarsofnigeria commented:
"She is even lucky she was nabbed here. If it was Saudi Arabia, o ti lo."
Bj_cleopas said:
"Aren’t we concerned as to how this person was arrested in 2017 and they’re just passing judgement now in 2026? What does this say about our judiciary?"
Naijabang wrote:
"Arike pre-ordered jail term."
SA businessman named in fraud case
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a South African businessman, Siyabonga Moses, was named in the major ESKOM fraud case.
According to reports, the business mogul who is married to influencer Leleti Nkosi was accused of defrauding Eskom, South Africa's state-owned power supplier, by inflating the costs of contracts awarded to him.
Siyabonga's assets, including several properties and cars worth millions of dollars, were frozen.
Source: YEN.com.gh
