The Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State has sentenced one Braimoh Azeez Oluwadamilare to two years imprisonment for fraud.
Oluwadamilare was sentenced by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon with an option of fine of N50,000 for obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N70,000.
The convict was arraigned on a one-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Makurdi Zonal office, on Tuseday.
He was accused of defrauding one Mavis Damkor of the sum of N70,000, in August, 2019 in Makurdi, under false pretence that she should invest with the said amount and get double of it within 45 minutes, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(2) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
Trouble started when Mavis invested the N70,000 but did not get the interest and the said funds were not returned to her.
When the charges were read to him, Oluwadamilare pleaded ‘guilty’ after a plea bargain agreement with the Commission.
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In view of his guilty plea, and subsequent review of the facts of the case, the prosecution counsel, Y.Y. Tarfa, prayed the court to convict him accordingly.
However, Counsel to the convict Donald Kwaghtser, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying his client was a first-time offender.
After hearing his plea, Justice Olajuwon convicted and sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment, with an option of fine of N50,000.
Our correspondent reports that the court also directed that the sum of N70,000.00 which had been refunded by the convict during the course of investigation be paid to the victim as a restitution.
The court also asked the convict to undertake not to commit any further financial crimes again.
