Court Jails Convict 162 Years For Defrauding Bank Manager From Prison

Court Jails Convict 162 Years For Defrauding Bank Manager From Prison

Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja yesterday convicted and sentenced a convicted felon, Ikechuwu Ojibu to 162 years imprisonment for defrauding a bank manager to the sum of N12.3m from prison custody.

Justice Okunnu, while handing down the verdict condemned officials of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison for aiding the convict to commit the crime by allowing him to open a bank account and permitting him to wear mufti inside the prison.

The judge also wondered how the prison officials allowed the convict to use several Mobil phones to call his victim in other to defraud him.

The convict, Ikechuwu Ojibu and one Ibebugbu Chuks were arraigned before the court on 10-count charge of obtaining money by false pretenses and stealing by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC).

The two men, who were arraigned on June 10, 2011, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Okunnu, however, discharged the second defendant on the ground that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the charges against him.

She held, “There was nothing to show that second defendant knew anything about the money sent to his account.”

“I am of a view that the prosecution failed to prove his case against the second defendant because there was no direct evidence against him” the court held.

But on the convict, the judge held “according to the witness statement  of the EFCC operatives and the evidences  before the court I believed that the first defendant had on various occasions collected about twelve million naira from the complaint.

Counsel to the convict,  Olanrewaju Ajanaku, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendant has shown remorse.

The lawyer also said, “My lord the defendant’s wife died two years ago, I urge my lord to temper justice with mercy.”

In response to the prayers, counsel to the EFCC, Nnaemeka Omewa said that “the defendant is just two years into his initial prison term before committing this heinous crime.

He argued that if he is set free he would do more harm to the society, he therefore urged the court to pass the maximum judgment on him.

After listing to them, the judge sentenced the convict to 18 years imprisonment on count two to ten and eight years on count one.

The jail term according to the court will running concurrently.