Bankers, Pastors Bag Jail Terms In kano, Anambra and DElta

GTB Banker Bags Three Years for Fraud in Kano
Justice Nasiru Saminu of the Kano State High Court on Friday, July 24, 2020, sentenced an ex-banker, Shehu Mohammed Aliyu to three years imprisonment for fraud.

The convict, a former staff of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) was prosecuted by the Kano Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He was arraigned on January 30, 2020 alongside his wife, on a six-count charge of money laundering and obtaining money by false pretence, to which they pleaded not guilty.

The charges were, however, amended to three-counts in the course of the trial, to which the convict pleaded guilty while his wife was delisted from the charges after further investigation revealed that the convict committed the crime without her knowledge.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Zarami Mohammed urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Justice Saminu convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment on each of the three counts or pay a fine option of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) on each of the three counts.  The prison terms are to run concurrently.

The convict ran into trouble for creating a non-existent account holder, purporting the same to be a staff of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, Kano State, by presenting forged employment particulars of the hospital and fraudulently obtaining a loan through the fake account holder.
He deposited the loan sum into a joint account held with his wife, but subsequently withdrew the money without his wife’s knowledge hence she was removed from the charge.

Dele Oyewale,
Head Media & Publicity,
27/07/2020

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Court Jails Former Bank MD For N66.6m Fraud
Justice I.B. Gafai of the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State has convicted and sentenced former managing director of Achina Microfinance Bank, Aguata, Mr. Jonathan Nnamdi Udemadu to 11 months imprisonment for multiple fraud.
The convict was prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on nine-count charges of abuse of office, forgery, issuance of dud cheque and fraudulent conversion of depositors fund to the tune of N66,633,000.00 (Sixty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand Naira).

The complainant, Achina Microfinance Bank had petitioned the EFCC, alleging that the defendant, being its former managing director, granted N15 million (Fifteen Million Naira) unauthorised credit facility to Rommex Telecommunications Limited and also did the same to Noble Mike International Ltd, to the tune of N3 million (Three Million Naira), and standing as their guarantor, without collateral.
In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, Michael Ani, called three witnesses and tendered 21 exhibits to prove the charges against the defendant.
He was convicted on all the nine counts with one month prison sentence on counts one to seven and two months each on counts eight and nine, which are to run concurrently starting from Thursday, July 23, 2020 date of conviction.
Apart from the prison term, Justice Gafai ordered the convict to restitute Achina Microfinance Bank Ltd the sums of money contained in the charge in line with Section 321(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice, Act 2015.

Dele Oyewale,
Head Media & Publicity,
27/07/2020
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Two Pastors Bag 26 Years for Stealing
Justice F. N. Azinge of the Delta State High Court sitting in Otor-Udu has convicted and sentenced the duo of Pastor Glory Okeoghene Aberefa and Reverend Vincent Okpogo to 16 and 10 years imprisonment respectively.

The convicts, alongside their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited, were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 16-count charges, bordering on conspiracy to steal and stealing, contrary to Section 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, CAP 21, Vol 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, upon their arraignment on June 19, 2017.

Their trial by the EFCC legal team of V. O. Agbaje and K. U. Udus followed a petition and investigation which fingered them in the stealing of the sum of N32,516,620.00 (Thirty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty Naira).

The first defendant, Pastor Aberefa was sentenced to one year imprisonment on each of the 16 counts, while the second defendant, Reverend Okpogo was sentenced to one year imprisonment each on count seven to 16, all of which run consecutively.

It would be recalled that the convicts, who are already serving terms in prison, having been earlier jailed 17 years by both the Federal High Court, Asaba and Delta State High Court, Warri, in Delta State, would serve a new sentence, which Justice Azinge said would take effect after they have completed the extant 17 years imprisonment.

Trouble started for the convicts, when under the guise of running a finance company, defrauded dozens of unsuspecting members of the public of millions of naira, through their fraudulent Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited.

Dele Oyewale,
Head Media & Publicity,
27/07/2020
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