Remands two over N12m job scam

Justice A. Bello of the Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced three fraudsters, namely: Saadu Salisu, Omoruyi Osavbie (a.k.a Antonio Hendo Henderson) and Daniel Japheth Shehu (a.k.a Cain Steven) to various jail terms for internet fraud.

The convicts were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on one-count separate charges.

While Osavbie and Japheth’s charges bordered on impersonation and cheating, that of Salisu bordered on obtaining by false pretence and cheating.

Each of the three defendants pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, prompting the prosecuting counsel, M. Arumemi and M. Lawal, to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Bello, afterwards, convicted and sentenced Salisu to three years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine.

In addition, he forfeited N300,000, being the proceeds of crime to the federal government.

Japheth bagged four years imprisonment or a fine of N400,000 and forfeited £75.00, being proceeds of crime as well as his iPhone 11 mobile phone to the federal government, while Omoruyi was sentenced to seven years imprisonment or a fine of N450,000.

In addition, he forfeited N400,000, being proceeds of his crime and his iPhone X max to the Federal Government.

Salisu’s journey to prison began when his victim petitioned the commission, alleging that he convinced him in May 2021 that he could secure a job for him in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and later demanded N300,000 from him for the job placement, which he paid into the convict’s bank account but neither got the job nor his money back.

ALSO, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned the duo of Mrs Ndubuisi
Joy Cheneme, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Mr Godwin Sabo Takat of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, over allegations bordering on obtaining by false pretence and employment racketeering.

The ICPC in charge No. CR/243/2024, brought before Justice C.O. Oba of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 31, sitting in Apo, Abuja, accused the defendants of defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of N12 million.

ICPC, in a nine-count charge, accused the defendants of jointly obtaining the said amount from their victims by false pretence.

Their actions, according to the counsel to the ICPC, Mr Nura Saidu, contravened Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section18 (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and Section 363 of the Penal Code Act, 1990.

One of the counts reads “that you Godwin Sabo Takat (m) between January and June 2018 or thereabouts at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja while being a staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with intent to defraud did induce by false pretence Ndubuisi Joy Chineme to confer a benefit on you by paying about N4.5 million into your First Bank account for securing employment for unsuspecting job seekers in the Federal Civil Service and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

After the counts were read to their hearing, the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the nine-count charges.

Consequent upon their pleas, the presiding judge asked the ICPC counsel if they were ready for the trial, but the prosecuting counsel requested for adjournment to allow for adequate preparation for the hearing, to which the defence counsel did not oppose.

But the defendants’ counsel, Mr E.E. Ogar and I.O. Nweze, who filed separate bail applications, pleaded with the judge to admit their clients to bail on liberal terms pending trials.

Counsel to the ICPC, Saidu did not object to the defence bail applications.

Justice Oba, thereafter, admitted the defendants to bail of N2 million with two sureties for each of them.

The judge said each of the sureties must have N20 million in their accounts and two landed properties in the FCT, to be verified by the court.

He ordered that the defendants be remanded in Suleja and Kuje Correctional Centres, pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions, and adjourned till January 13, 2025, for commencement of trial.

The post Court jails three Internet fraudsters in Kaduna appeared first on Guardian Nigeria News.

Powered by WPeMatico