By Ghazali Ibrahim
A dramatic tale of youthful love, desperation, and misguided ambition has unfolded at a Magistrate Court after two young lovers: Mike and Dammy were arraigned on charges of conspiracy and stealing.
Their case, now resolved through restorative justice, exposes how vulnerable young people are lured into questionable business schemes and how desperation can spiral into crime.
In a Facebook post shared by Nurudeen Abiola Omotoso, a correctional officer in Ibadan, the duo, described by him as inseparable “lovebirds,” pleaded not guilty to stealing ₦115,000 from a Point of Sale (POS) operator in Ibadan. They were granted bail but unable to meet the conditions, leading to their remand at a correctional centre.
Mike, a Lagos-born young man with impressive A-level grades, told officials he left for Ilorin after secondary school in search of university admission. When that plan failed, he discovered GNLD, a controversial network marketing scheme.
Seduced by its promises of wealth, he abandoned education and fully embraced the business, moving between Ilorin, Osogbo and Lagos.
Dammy’s journey was different. From Abeokuta, she was sent to Lagos by her parents to learn fabric trading under her paternal aunt.
But she struggled under harsh working conditions and confided in Mike, whom she had just started dating. He encouraged her to abandon the trade and join him in GNLD. She agreed, and the pair eloped to Ibadan.
There, they lived together like a married couple in a single room in a slum, surviving on borrowed food and accumulating debts.
As hunger and debt mounted, Mike devised a plan. He introduced Dammy to a familiar POS operator as his “younger sister” who needed a job. Trusting him as a regular customer, the operator employed her without documentation.
Within two weeks, the couple had siphoned ₦115,000 from the daily funds using the money to repay debts, buy GNLD products and feed themselves. When the POS operator noticed inconsistencies in Dammy’s weekly accounts, he had her arrested. Mike was picked up shortly after.
Both were remanded following repeated adjournments.
Dammy eventually confessed to a female correctional officer, who contacted her worried parents in Abeokuta. Her father immediately travelled down, relieved she was alive after a “spiritual consultation” had assured him of her safety.
In an effort to give the pair a second chance, the officer initiated a restorative justice process. The POS operator himself a father agreed to settle, insisting only on a refund of his money, which he had borrowed from a cooperative.
At a mediation session held inside the correctional centre, the victim reduced the repayment to ₦100,000. Dammy’s father instantly paid her ₦50,000 share. Mike had nothing, but correctional staff raised the remaining amount through donations.
With the full sum refunded, the victim withdrew the case in court. The Magistrate sternly warned the pair before striking out the matter.
But moments after their discharge, a shocking scene unfolded. Dammy refused to follow her father home, insisting she wanted to return to Mike and continue GNLD.
Officials, fearing she would disappear, quickly intervened and escorted both offenders and Dammy’s father to the state command headquarters, where senior officers finally convinced her to go home.
The intervention did not end there. Officers accompanied the pair to their Ibadan room to ensure Dammy retrieved her belongings. Inside, Mike proudly displayed his GNLD certificates and A-level results, still convinced he was on the “path to wealth.”
Officials advised Mike to return home, reconcile with his parents and pursue education or learn a trade. Dammy was escorted home with her father.
Correctional authorities say the case underscores the value of restorative justice, and the dangers young people face when lured by exploitative “get-rich” schemes.
As one officer put it:
“We have done our part to the best of our ability. Restorative justice has helped them. The rest is left to the choices they make.”
Note: The above name doesn’t reflect the real names of individuals involved.
