The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, has sentenced Ugwu Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle to a combined 46 years in prison for impersonating Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives and executing a fake court order.
This was announced by the EFCC on its Facebook page on Sunday.
The anti-graft agency reported that the convicts were arrested in May 2021 at New Horizon Estate, Lekki, Lagos, after the commission received credible intelligence indicating they were conducting an illegal operation.
During their arrest, authorities recovered fake EFCC identity cards, jackets, and a court order purportedly from Mushin Magistrate Court. They were subsequently arraigned before Justice O.O.
Abike-Fadipe on October 12, 2021, by the Lagos Command of the EFCC on an amended five-count charge, including impersonation, attempted property fraud, possession of false documents, and unlawful wearing of the EFCC uniform.
The statement read in part, “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, attempted to obtain property from one Oriyomi Johnson under the pretext that the ‘Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos State Judiciary, Mushin, Lagos’ issued an order to the effect that the property located at New Horizon Estate, Lekki- Ikate, Lagos be seized and the said apartment sealed pending the arrival of the said Oriyomi Johnson, which representation you knew to be false and committed an offence of attempt to obtain property by false pretence contrary to Sections 8(b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section11(3) of the same Act.
“That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about May 12, 2021, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court not being a person holding any office in or authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, wore a jacket bearing the official mark of the commission, which was calculated to convey the impression that you held such authority and committed an offence of unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission contrary to Section 79(1) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The suspects pleaded guilty to the charges when read to them. Following their pleas, prosecution counsel Abdulhamid Tukur presented a review of the case facts and requested the court to deliver a guilty verdict and impose the corresponding sentences. Justice Abike-Fadipe found them guilty on counts one through five.
The defendants, however, pleaded with the judge for leniency.
In her judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced Chijioke and Adekunle to seven years each on counts one to three, one year on count four, and eight months on count five.
“Delivering judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced the defendants each to seven years on counts one to three each, one year on count four and eight months on count five.
“The sentences are to run concurrently.”
On May 2, PUNCH Online reported that the Nasarawa State Police Command arrested three individuals posing as officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the Nasarawa Local Government Area. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, the suspects carried out an attack near the Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa LGA, robbing people and abducting Adudu Kingsley, a National Diploma student from the institution.
Nansel further stated that the victim was released and the suspects were apprehended after diligent efforts by the police officers.
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
