Frauds: Female Undergraduate Bags 2 Years, Man Bags 66 Years
Female Undergraduate, Two Others Bag Seven Year Jail Term in Enugu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office on Tuesday, February 24, 2020 secured the convictions of three undergraduates, namely: Cynthia Nwankwo Ifunanya (female), 22 years, Kingsley Omenazu 27 and Okorie Kosalachi Alex 29 years before Justice I Buba of Federal High Court, Enugu, Enugu State on two separate count charges of internet fraud.
Justice Buba after reviewing the evidence against the convicts admitted that the prosecution counsel, Eunice Vou Dalyop has proved her case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted and sentenced Alex to three years imprisonment, while Ifunanya and Omenazu were handed two years imprisonment respectively. The threesome was, however, given N2 million (Two Million Naira) option of fine each.
Justice Buba, further ruled that all the items recovered from the convicts by the EFCC should be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The convicts including the lady were arrested by the EFCC at Airport View Estate Thinkers Corner, Enugu State following several calls by the residents to the increasing fraudulent activities of the convicts in the area.
Meanwhile, four of the originally suspected fraudsters arraigned on seperate two and three count charges, namely: Valentine Chinaza , Wisdom Obioma, Godswill Ndubuisi. O and Anya Precious Junior all pleaded not guilty as charged.
In view of the pleas the prosecution counsel, Eunice Dalyop asked for a trial date and urged the court to remand them in Enugu Correctional Service.
Following the developement, counsel to Godswill Ndubuisi and Anya Precious, N.F Anyaegbulam moved a motion for the bail of his clients which was granted by the court.
Justice Buba, after hearing from both counsels, granted the duo bail in the sum of N20 million each, two sureties in like sum with landed property. He ordered the property to be verify by the court and the sureties to show means of living and passports of the sureties be deposited to the court.
Justice Buba further ordered the defendants to be remanded in correctional service pending the perfection of their bail conditions and adjourned the matter till March 13, 2020 for trial.
Similarly, Valentine Chinaza and Wisdom Obioma were ordered to be remanded in correctional Service while their case was adjourned till February 26, 2020 for hearing of their bail applications.
Tony Orilade
Acting Head, Media & Publicity
Tony Orilade
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Man Bags 66 Years Imprisonment without Option of Fine for €55,000 Fraud in Delta
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Asaba has sentenced one Tonwerigha Oyintonbra Tombrown to 66 years imprisonment without an option of fine for defrauding one Izabela Glogowska to the tune of ( €55,000) Fifty Five Thousand Euros under the pretext of paying it into her Perfect Money online account.
Tombrown had pleaded not guilty upon arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State, on November 9, 2016.
He was prosecuted on thirty-three count charge, bordering on impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence. However, at the resumed hearing on the matter on February 13, 2020, he switched gear and pleaded guilty to all the charges.
One of the charges reads: “That you Tonweirigha Oyintonbra Tombrown (alias Michael Freeman, Yoshinaka corporation) on or about the 8th day of May 2015, at Warri, Delta State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did present yourself as one Michael Freeman a famous online trader and obtained the sum of (€5800) Five Thousand Eight Hundred Euros from Izabela Glogwoska under the false pretence that you were going to pay the said sum into Izabela Glogwoska’s Perfect Money account, a pretence you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the said Act.”
Prosecuting counsel, A.I Arogha reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict him accordingly.
Justice Dimgba convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the thirty three count charges without an option of fine. The sentence is, however, to run concurrently from August 11, 2018, the date the convict was taken into custody.
The judge further ruled that the EFCC should remit to the victim of the fraud, the sum of €30,475 (Thirty Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy-five Euros, being part of the proceeds of crime, which the convict had returned through the Commission in the course of investigation and prosecution of the case.
Tony Orilade
Acting Head, Media & Publicity
Tony Orilade
