Tag: Jail

College of Education accountant to serve 304 years jail term over forgery

One Emmanuel Sombo has been sentenced to 304 years imprisonment for forgery and stealing of N34. 9 million from the account of Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, in Enugu state.

Sombo was an accountant with the institution.

He was convicted and sentenced by An Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice Kenneth Okpe.

Sombo, who was convicted last Thursday after a long trial which started in 2010, had pleaded not guilty to the 61 count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in suit No E/56C/2010.

He was alleged to have on several occasions forged the signatures of principal officers of the institution on promissory notes with which he cashed monies running into N34 million from the college’ First Bank account for his personal use.

The principal officers including the Provost, the Registrar and the Bursar denied signing the cheques with which the accused withdrew the monies.

The EFCC forensic experts who took samples of the principal officers’ signatures confirmed that the ones on the cheques used in the transactions were forged.

Delivering judgement on the matter, Justice Kenneth Okpe said they based on the weight of evidence before the court, the court had no difficulty in concluding that the accused person personally forged the signatures on the disputed cheques or was assisted to forge the documents.

“The court is satisfied that the circumstantial evidence placed before it is cogent, compelling and points irresistibly to the fact that the accused person committed the offence of forging the disputed cheques. He acted alone and is still alone as he could not call even one witness from the college to support his defence.

“These elements of the offence are present in the instant case and I, therefore, hold that the prosecution has proved all the ingredients of the offence of forgery beyond reasonable doubt and accordingly I find the accused guilty of forgery as charged in counts 32 to 61.

“All the elements of stealing are present in this case. The accused person in his statement to the EFCC said he knew that the disputed cheques were fraudulently issued but he was asked by his Boss to play along.

“He cashed the cheques and disbursed the proceeds in a manner that permanently deprived the Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu of the ownership of the money. I therefore also find the accused person guilty of the offence of stealing as charged in counts 1 to 31.

“I will therefore sentence the accused person, Emmanuel Sombo to 7 years imprisonment for each of the offences of stealing in counts 1 to 31 in the Amended information, 217 years.

“I also sentence him to 3 years imprisonment for each of the offences of forgery in counts 32 to 61 of the Amended Information, 87 years. However, the entire sentences are to run concurrently with effect from today. This is my judgement in this case.”

December 21, 2022
Fmr Fed University VC bags 35years jail term for forgery

A former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, Professor Magaji Garba, has been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by a High Court sitting in Garki, Abuja.

Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu handed the sentence after he was found guilty of a five count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.

Garba was arraigned by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 12, 2021, for allegedly extorting various sums from a contractor on the pretext of awarding him a N3 billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the University.

The offence is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

December 1, 2022
South African appeal court orders Zuma to continue his jail term

An appeal court in South Africa has ruled that former president, Jacob Zuma, was unlawfully given medical parole from a jail term last year and should return to prison to complete his sentence.

80-year old Zuma had been handed a 15-month term in June 2021 for contempt of court, a move that triggered deadly unrest.

But he served only two months before being given parole for medical reasons that remain unclear.

Parole was granted by the head of South Africa’s prison service, despite an opinion by the service’s medical committee that Zuma did not meet the required conditions.

“This court has now determined that Mr Zuma’s release on medical parole was unlawful,” the supreme court of appeal said.
“Mr Zuma in law has not finished serving this sentence.

“He must return to the Estcourt Correctional Center to do so,” it said, referring to a jail northwest of the city of Durban.

According to medical assessments cited in the appeal court’s decision, Zuma has problems linked to high blood pressure, elevated levels of blood sugar and lesions of the colon.
Zuma, a prominent figure in the fight against apartheid, became president in 2009 and was forced to step down in disgrace by the ANC in 2018 following mounting corruption allegations.

But he remains a revered figure among grassroots members of the ruling African National Congress, who perceive him as a defender of the poor and oppressed.
When his jail term was announced, violent protests broke out that spiralled into looting, leaving 350 people dead.
The order by the supreme court of appeal is unlikely to be the final word in the long-running saga, as Zuma still has recourse to the Constitutional Court, the highest judicial instance in the land.

The prison authorities last month announced that Zuma’s 15-month term was now formally over.

He has since made several public appearances, singing and dancing before his supporters, and launched a verbal attack on his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of graft and treason.
Ramaphosa faces a crucial ANC conference next month, seeking re-election at a time when he is under pressure over allegations that he concealed a multi-million-dollar cash heist at his luxury farmhouse.

Zuma was jailed for refusing to testify to a high-level inquiry into massive state corruption that unfolded under his presidency.

He also faces separate corruption charges over an arms deal dating back more than two decades.

November 21, 2022
BREAKING: Lagos traditional ruler, brother bag 15-year jail term

An Ikeja High Court on Tuesday sentenced a dethroned Baale of Shangisha in Magodo area of Lagos State, Mutiu Ogundare and his brother, Opeyemi Mohammed to 15 years imprisonment each for faking his own kidnap.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi had on June 15 convicted Ogundare and Mohammed on three counts of bordering on conspiracy and fake abduction.

“I have considered the allocutus of the defence counsels. However, it is in the view of this court that the defendants showed no remorse during trial.

“In fact, the first defendant tried to buy his way out of the court. A lesson has to be thought to serve as deterrent to others.

“The defendants are hereby sentenced to 10 years for count one without an option of fine, one year to count two with an option of N200,000 and 15 years to count three without an option of fine.

“The sentencing shall run concurrently from the day they had been arrested,” Oshodi said.

The court however set his wife Abolanle, free having earlier absolved her of the charges.

Mr Olarewaju Ajanaku who represented the first defence counsel, Dr Muniz Banire, in his allocutus on June 15 prayed the court to temper Justice with mercy.

Ajanaku had prayed the court that the convict had turned a new leaf and he did not think through his action when he committed the offences.

The second defence counsel, Dr Olayinka Owoeye, also in his allocutus had prayed the court to temper justice with mercy adding that the convict had learnt his lessons.

The state prosecutor, Mr Jubril Kareem, however, urged the court to apply the provisions of law to sentence the convict.

According to the prosecution, the defendants committed the offence on July 5, 2017.

The prosecution said that Ogundare put himself forward to be kidnapped for the purpose of causing breach of public peace, adding that his brother and wife aided in the crime.

Former Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, in July 2017, ordered the removal of Ogundare as the Baale of Shangisha, for staging his own abduction.

The offences contravene Section 7(1) and (2) of Lagos State Kidnapping Prohibition Law of 2017, and Sections 96 (1) (a-d) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

September 27, 2022
Tweet: UN calls for release of Saudi woman jailed for 34 years

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday expressed outrage over a 34-year prison sentence handed down to a Saudi woman, Ms Salma Al-Shehab charged with following and retweeting so-called dissidents and activists.

Doctoral student Al-Shehab was sentenced to 34 years in jail, followed by a 34-year travel ban in connection with a series of tweets and retweets on political and human rights issues in Saudi Arabia,

“We urge the Saudi authorities to quash her conviction and release her immediately and unconditionally.

“She should never have been arrested and charged in the first place for such conduct,” OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell said in a statement.

According to the statement, the extraordinarily lengthy sentence adds to “the chilling effect” among Government critics and civil society at large.

It described it as yet another example of Saudi authorities weaponising the country’s counter-terrorism and anti-cybercrime laws to target, intimidate and retaliate against human rights defenders and those who voice dissent.

The mother of two young children, Ms Al-Shehab, 34, was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2021 while on holiday from her studies at Leeds University in the UK.

She was accused of spreading false information and aiding dissidents seeking to disrupt public order with her tweets, retweets and follows on Twitter.

News reports have pointed out that the case marks the latest example of how the country has targeted Twitter users in a campaign of repression, while simultaneously controlling a major indirect stake in the United States social media company.

Journalists have also observed that the sentencing by Saudi’s special terrorist court was handed down weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia, which human rights activists had warned could embolden the kingdom to escalate its crackdown on dissidents and other pro-democracy activists.

“Saudi Arabia must not only release Al-Shehab so that she can re-join her family, but also review all convictions stemming from free expression against human rights defenders.

“The government should release those jailed, including women who were jailed after they legitimately demanded reforms of discriminatory policies, as well as religious leaders and journalists,” Throssell said.

OHCHR also urged the Saudi Government to establish “a robust legislative framework in line with international human rights law” to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and association, and the right of peaceful assembly for all.

August 20, 2022
Student, three others jailed for wire fraud in Ibadan

A student of the Polytecnic ibadan,Gbadamosi Joseph Adebayo has been sentenced to 6 months in jail by the Federal High Court in Ibadan for wire fraud.

Another set of persons whose names were given as Tijani Wasiu Oluwakemi, Olunlade Quadri Olamilekan and Olaogun Segun Damilola were also convicted for the same offence.

These internet fraudsters were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for criminal impersonation and related offences.

They all pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to them individually.

Meanwhile Justice Uche Agomoh ordered Gbadamosi to pay $200 in restitution to his victim.

Oluwakemi, Olamilekan and Damilola were convicted by two different Federal High Courts and a State High Court after pleading guilty.

Oluwakemi was arraigned before Justice Agomoh; Olamilekan before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta; Damilola before Justice Sherifat Adeyemi of the Federal High Court, Ibadan.

Tijani was sentenced to one year imprisonment; Olamilekan to nine months jail term; Damilola to six months community service.

The convicts were ordered to make restitution to their victims and forfeit various devices and a car.

May 19, 2022
Tonto Dikeh reveals plan to send Kemi Olunloyo to jail

Popular Nollywood Actress, Tonto Dikeh, has revealed her intention to send controversial investigative Journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, to jail, saying “Na Ogun go help me put her back for jail”.

She stated this while reacting to Kemi’s seemingly using her name to ‘chase clout’.

She took to her Instastory to write; “It’s like Kemi wants me to talk to her or something. Na Ogun go help me put her back for jail. Make we start to do goFundMe for you again, Agbaya!! Olodo.”

See her post below:

Tonto Dikeh made the news some days ago for gloating after her ex-lover, Kpokpogri cried out on social media that his expensive house in Abuja was being demolished by the FCDA.

The single mother-of-one had taken to her page to boast that what was happening to Kpokpogri is the result of him messing with the wrong woman.

Many people dragged Tonto Dike for rejoicing over someone’s downfall but Tonto shut those critics down.

Recently, Kemi Olunloyo had a live session with Kpokpogri and she asked if Tonto Dikeh had a hand in the demolishing of his house.

Kpokpogri disclosed that she wasn’t responsible for the demolishing and Kemi retorted that Tonto was only laughing at her ex-lover because of clout.

It would be recalled that the Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority, FHA, Gbenga Ashafa, visited the site of Kpokpogri’s multi-million naira mansion in Abuja, in the company of some top management team of Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA.

The officials claimed that the plot of land originally belonged to FHA, but a proper building plan was not approved before the mansion was erected.

Kpokpogri multi million mansion in Abuja demolished

According to FHA, notices to stop work were served at different stages and times of the work, but Kpokpogri refused to comply.

Also, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Malam Shehu Hadi, who was also in the team that visited the site, said the road alignment had been done long ago and FHA was duly notified.

Hadi noted that the alignment, which the demolished building obstructed, was designed to serve as an important bye-pass to the Abuja-Keffi axis.

He added that any plan to realign the road because of the building would be difficult and not a fair judgment to those that it would affect, considering that the demolished building was not in existence earlier when the plan started.

Speaking on the development, the Director, FCTA Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said the mansion, was unapproved, and couldn’t be allowed to override public interest.

He said the building was an obstruction to a major road network, connecting the popular Apo Bridge to many parts of the city.

He explained that the land has been duly allocated to carry out its Mass Housing Programmes.

May 18, 2022
Nigerian jailed over six years for rape in UK

A Nigerian man, Kenneth Ajilore, has been sentenced to six and half years for rape by the Nightingale court based at Hendon Magistrate Court.

Ajilore, who is of Prince George Road, Stoke Newington, was accused of raping a woman inside a car.

According to Hackney Gazette, detectives began an investigation after a woman, aged in her 20s, reported being raped in a car after a night out in Stoke Newington.

The attack took place in the early hours of September 17, 2021. The woman told officers that Ajilore invited her into a vehicle and drove her to different locations across the city.

The accuser took photos of the vehicle which detectives used to trace it back to Ajilore.

They discovered he had hired it on the morning of September 16. To further prove Ajilore was responsible for the attack, officers talked to several witnesses and examined mobile phone data.

They also recovered CCTV footage and carried out DNA analysis which linked Ajilore to the victim.

Ajilore was arrested three days later on September 20.

March 25, 2022
FRAUD: Court sentences man to 5yrs in jail

A Federal High Court sitting in Benin City has convicted and sentenced one Adanegbe Hope Osaze to five years imprisonment for fraud.

The defendant was arraigned on one count charge by the Benin Zonal Command of the EFCC for fraudulent impersonation.

According to the charge: “That you Adanegbe Hope Osaze sometime in year 2018 at Benin City, Edo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did fraudulently impersonate the identity of Mark Hagen an American by sending his picture to Lynn Wri through the internet which identity you claim to be your own with the intent to obtain money from her, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2) (b) (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 22(2) (b) (iv) of the same Act.”

The defendant, however, pleaded guilty to the charge.

In view of the plea, the prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

However, the defence counsel, B.I Jaboro, urged the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendant is a first-time offender who has become remorseful for his actions.

The trial judge, Justice C.A Obiozor, convicted and sentenced the defendant to five years imprisonment with the option of a fine of N500,000.

In addition, the defendant shall forfeit his mobile phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria and undertake to be of good behavior afterward.

February 16, 2022
Bank scam: Bill seeking 20 years jail term for fraudulent bankers passes second reading

…proposed law seeks yearly declaration of assets by bank staff

A bill seeking 20 years jail term for fraudulent bank staff and yearly declaration of their assets has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports if passed into law such staff of commercial banks in Nigeria found culpable of defrauding customers of their deposits stand will liable to 20 years imprisonment and forfeiture of the excess asset or its equivalent in money to the Federal Government, upon conviction.

The House is also moving to provide for yearly declaration of assets by bankers in the country with a view to ensuring that ill-gotten funds from fraudulent activities are not laundered through asset acquisition.

The sanctions are stipulated in the proposed Bank Employee Declaration of Assets Act Amendment Bill, 2020 which scaled through second reading in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The Bill promoted by Hon. Francis Waive (PDP, Delta) seeks to make the punishment for fraud perpetuity by bank employees more punitive so as to serve as deterrent to other bank staffers.

Lawmakers also proposed further amendments to the Bill to the effect that a holistic definition of bank employees should include CEOs, Chairmen of Boards and Board of Directors whom they said said are fond of taking loans without collateral only to decline payment, declaring same as bad loans, thereby wrecking the bank and putting it out of business.

It therefore intends to amend section 7(2) of the principal Act to provide that any employee guilty of fraudulent activities shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for 20 years from the current 10 years and shall, in addition, “forfeit the excess asset or its equivalent in money to the Federal Government”.

The proposed legislation also seek to amend Section 5 (1) of the principal Act by substituting the existing words with new words which read: “The Chief Executive of every bank shall once in every year, but not later than 7th January submit to the appropriate authority a list of all employees who joined or left the employment of the bank in the immediate proceeding 12 months expiring on 31st December of the proceeding year.”

In a lead debate on the general principles of the Bill, the sponsor said it is meant to have updated data of staff for easy tracing of those involved in fraudulent activities and to increase their punishment to serve as deterrent to others.

Waive said: “We are in days when bank fraud has increased with Yahoo business that the young people are doing. The aim here is to increase punishment up to 20 years imprisonment to serve as a deterrent so that this upsurge we are seeing today in fraudulent activities in bank accounts is brought to minimum or eliminated completely.”

In his submission, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) however called for the increase of the imprisonment period for offenders under the proposed amendment beyond 20 years, just as he called for the passage of the Bill to serve as a deterrent to bank officials that take the trust between them and customers for granted.

“Bank transaction between bank officials and customers is based on trust and everybody is aware of how some bank officials take that position of trust for granted. In different circumstances, bank officials suffocate and frustrate their customers for no reason because there is no legal framework that brings those officials to order.

“So, Mr Speaker, I think we should not even be interested in the 20 years. In my opinion, it should be more. If I keep my money in your bank, fraudulently some bank officials conspired with frausdsters to take money from customers accounts and again they are under oath but they disclose information regarding some customers that do not play their own cards,” Gagdi said.

Also speaking in support of the Bill,
Nkem Abonta (PDP, Abia) said the scope of bank employee be broaden to include Managing Directors, Bank Owners, Board of Directors and others who are involved in banks operations so that sanction apply accordingly.

“Mr Speaker, in view of the fraud going on now there will be need to strengthen banking industry. I want to approach this (Bill) from the angle of who is an employee of a bank – the Managing Director, the Board of Directors and owners of the banks are employees of the bank. Some frauds like we read, they will tell you one Managing Director is richer than the bank, they will tell you a board member is this and so on.

“It has given a narrow description of employee of bank. Directors of banks should be interpreted for this purpose to be employees of of banks. You see Directors accessing loans without collateral. If you apply this law strictly, Directors are employees of the bank, bank owners or any body who is related to the bank should be deemed to be an employee of the bank”, Abonta argued.

The Bill upon passing second reading was referred to the House committee on Banking and Currency, as well as Anti Corruption for further legislative inputs.

February 2, 2022