A man, Otede Pio Meyeoghene, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment without the option of a fine for defrauding an unsuspecting citizen with fake government contract.
The convict was brought before the Justice Okon Abang-led Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State.
It was gathered that he was initially arraigned in 2018 by the Benin Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but was re-arraigned on July 12, 2021 for the same crime.
Meyeoghene pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge preferred against him by EFCC.
The anti-graft agency through the charges, told the court that Meyeoghene allegedly induced Eyinoloma Demeyin to deposit the sum of N2,000,000 into his First Bank account in 2015 in Warri.
Meyeoghene told his victim that the money was for investment in a waste management contract with the Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt.
A claimed the investment will return a N25,000 dividend daily.
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The prosecution counsel, I. M. Elodi, told the court that the offence violated Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Acts 2006 and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same act.
Elodi, during the trial, called two witnesses to prove the case against the defendant, while the defence also called two witnesses.
Justice Abang stated that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore found the defendant guilty on all counts.
He subsequently sentenced the defendant to 10 years imprisonment, to run concurrently on each of the counts, without the option of fine.
The judge also ordered the defendant to return to the nominal complainant the outstanding sum of N2,095,000 with 21% interest per annum from 2015 until fully liquidated.
Similarly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed on Wednesday that it has secured the conviction of the duo of Redeem James and Chisom Okoye before Justice A. A. Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court on a separate count of internet fraud.
A statement by the anti-graft agency stated that its Kaduna Zonal Command, acting on intelligence reports, had arrested them in Abuja for alleged internet fraud-related activities.
EFCC said further investigation into the cases revealed that the defendants were using various social media apps to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.
The agency said both pleaded guilty to the separate charges, prompting the prosecuting counsel, K.S. Ogunlade, to ask the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Isiaka convicted and sentenced James to two years imprisonment with an option of a N150, 000 fine, while he was ordered to pay $250 as restitution.
Similarly, Chisom was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N150,000, while he was ordered to forfeit a Samsung Galaxy phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria.