Justice Elias Abua of the Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has convicted and sentenced two former bankers: Titus Chima Nwankwo and Utibe-Abasi Ifiok George for stealing the sum of N2,900,000( Two Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira only) from the account of a deceased customer of a commercial bank.
Nwankwo and George were jailed on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges bordering on forgery, conspiracy, breach of trust and stealing, upon their arraignment by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
Justice Abua convicted and sentenced George to three months imprisonment with an option of fine of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only) while Nwankwo bagged three months imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000.00 ( Fifty Thousand Naira only).
The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre started on June 16, 2021 when a petitioner alleged that they conspired and forged the signature of one Godfried Francis Osso, a deceased customer of a bank and fraudulently diverted the said sum for their personal uses. They were investigated, arrested, prosecuted and convicted.