N400,000 fraud: Court jails man seven years without option of fine

Justice U.N. Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced one Valentine Madu to seven years imprisonment.
The sentence is without an option of fine.
This was contained in a statement issued by Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Friday in Abuja.
It said the convict was arraigned on September 27, 2012.
Madu was arraigned on a one-count amended charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence brought against him by theEFCC.
He allegedly collected N400,000 from one Chioma Princewill as the cost of instituting a legal action against Total E & F Nigeria Limited for the damage of farmlands and crops belonging to Omuorukwerie family in Erema in Ogba/Egbema, Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“He collected the money but did not render the service for which the money was paid,” the statement said.
The convict pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge and the matter went into full trial.
Justice Agumoh found Madu guilty and consequently convicted and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The Judge also ordered the restitution of N300,000 to the victim.
The charge reads: “That you Hon. Valentine Madu on or about March 20, 2001 at Port Harcourt in the Port Harcourt Judicial Division did with intent to defraud, obtain the sum of N400,000 from Mr Chioma Princewill under the false pretence that the money would be used for the purpose of instituting legal action against Total E & FF Nigeria Ltd.
“For the damage of farmlands and crops belonging to Omuorukwerie family in Erema in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No.13 of 1995 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”