Buhari’s Spokesman’s Impersonator Jailed 8 Years
A fraudster, who impersonated the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and attempted to fleece a Bayero University don of N300, 000 for a non-existent appointment in the Presidency has been convicted.
Christian Efe Oyovweyho Christian Efe Oyovweyho, who was convicted by Justice Z. B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court Kano, will spend the next eight years of his life in prison.
The convict was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 2-count charge that borders on conspiracy and attempts to obtain by false means in contravention of sections 8(a) and (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The convict’s journey to prison started when the anti-graft agency received a petition from Professor Dalhatu Mohammed Galadanci of the Bayero University Kano that Oyovweyho had impersonated Femi Adesina and that he had also demanded the sum of N300,000 from him.
According to Galadanci, sometime in July 2016, the convict sent him a text message claiming to be Femi Adesina, the SA to the President on Media and Publicity.
The defendant fraudulently claimed to be speaking on behalf of the president and that the name of the professor had been forwarded for appointment in the presidency.
The complainant further stated that the defendant claimed to be searching for a better office for him.
Subsequently, the defendant asked the professor to make payment of the sum of N300,000 in order to facilitate his appointment to Nigeria Port Authority, Nigerian Railway Corporation or the Rural Electrification Agency.
Professor Galadanci said he, however, became suspicious of the promise by the convict and consequently reported the matter to the EFCC.
Upon arraignment on the 16th of March, 2017, the convict pleaded not guilty and the prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, proceeded for trial during which two witnesses gave evidence while the convict stood as the only defense witness.
In her judgment, Justice Abubakar found the convict guilty of the offence he was charged with after she was convinced that the prosecution had proved the case against him beyond a reasonable doubt.
She subsequently sentenced him to 4 years imprisonment without an option of fine on each of the two-count charge. The sentence is to run concurrently.
