Nigerian woman lands in jail for stealing vulnerable residents’ money in UK

Abiola Akinremi, a Nigerian woman who worked in a care facility, was given a seven-month prison term in the UK for stealing £20,000 from the savings of vulnerable residents.

The 41-year-old made dozens of unauthorized withdrawals from patients’ bank accounts while working as an administrator at the institution in Bostall House in Abbey Wood, Old Bailey, in South East London, according to Daily UK News on Thursday.

The Old Bailey is a place where people with mental illnesses can find shelter under the Mental Health Act, and those without family support give administrators and carers management of their finances.

In her ruling, the presiding judge, Angela Rafferty KC held, “This was a repeated and planned course of conduct, and a very serious breach of trust of vulnerable people.”

Robert Levack, the prosecutor, added that the residents of the home are all fragile, suffer from a variety of ailments, and are all in custody due to the Mental Health Act or other laws. It is an all-night care center.

“They are not allowed to leave Bostall House without a member of staff or a family member. Some have their financial affairs looked after by the home.”

In November 2018, authorities launched an investigation into Akinremi’s fraudulent actions when £43,000, including £32,000 from one victim, vanished from residents’ bank accounts.

Up until the first day of her prosecution, she had denied the allegations, claiming that other members of the home’s staff were attempting to “blame” her.

Akinremi, however, confessed taking £19,650 from three residents over the course of eight months and claimed that other people at the facility had also engaged in misconduct.

Following that, Akinremi admitted guilt to three counts of fraud by abuse of position, and Judge Rafferty denied a request for a deferred sentence, deciding that only an immediate stint in jail would be suitable.