WorldStage Newsonline– Justice Dije Aboki of the Kano State High Court today convicted and sentenced one Charles Ngezelonye, a former staff of the Nigeria Prison Service to 2 years imprisonment on a two count charge of cheating.
The convict’s journey to prison started after the Commission received a petition from one Ogueri Immaculate, alleging that the convict defrauded her of the sum of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) under the pretext of securing her a job with the Nigeria Prison Service.
She further alleged that after she had paid the money, the convict failed to secure her the employment nor return her money.
One of the count read, “That you Ngezelonye Charles sometime in 2013 and 2016 within the judicial Division of this court with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum five hundred thousand naira (#500,000.00)
from Uheri Immaculate through your First Bank account No. 2026600369 on the false presence that Nigeria Prison are replacing staff and that you have slots to provide her employment, pretence which you knew
to be false and you thereby committed cheating, an offence punishable under section 322 of the Penal Code”.
After listening to the charge read against him, the convict pleaded guilty to the two count charge.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel Doglas Gift asked the court to convict in accordance with section 322 of the Penal Code. Counsel representing the convict, Modupe Spaine pleaded with court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict. Considering the fact that the convict has no previous criminal record, Justice
Aboki sentenced him to one year imprisonment on each of the count. He was also offered an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira ) fine on each of the two counts.
The sentence is to run concurrently.
INTERNET FRAUDSTER GETS ONE MONTH
In a similar development, the EFCC, on Wednesday 18th April, 2018 arraigned and secured the conviction of one Omokaro Osamudianmen Precious before Justice. A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court on one count charge bordering of cheating and obtaining One Million Five Hundred and Forty Five Thousand Naira (N1,545,000.00) under false pretences, contrary to section 388 of CAP 30, Criminal Code Law, Enugu State and punishable under Section 388 of the same Law.
Posing as a genuine business man that deals in Bitcoin, Omokaro who belonged to a syndicate of internet fraudsters had promised the victim through her brother a 10% interest on her capital investment within one month.
He pleaded guilty to the one count charge preferred against him
The count read, “That you, Omokaro Osamudianmen sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Enugu State, by means of fraudulent trick obtained the sum of N1,545,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred and Forty five Thousand Naira) from one Ifunanya Afam Okonkwo, when you presented yourself to her as a genuine business man with a promise to pay her interest and return her capital within one month and thereby committed an offence”.
In view of the accused person’s plea, the prosecuting counsel Mbachie Innocent applied to review the facts of the matter presented by the prosecuting witness Abdulraman Babakano and urged the court to convict the accused.
The defense counsel, Kakaan Desmond on the other hand pleaded with his lordship to temper justice with mercy since the accused is a first offender and did not waste the court’s time by admitting to the crime,
Justice Onovo sentenced the accused to one month imprisonment.
The convict in another love scam, impersonated a US Military personnel deployed for peace keeping mission in Syria to defraud a Pilipino lady the sum of N390, 000.
