The Sokoto Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of one Chiagoze Chukwujiekwu before Justice Bello Duwale of the Sokoto State High Court.

He was arraigned on an amended one-count charge bordering on cheating, contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 311 of the same law.

The charge reads: "That you, Chiagoze Samuel Chukwujiekwu and Onu Okafor (now at large) on or about the 6th of February, 2019 in Sokoto within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice of Sokoto State with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sun of N450,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from Chijioke Akujieze when you falsely represented yourself to him to be an international businessmen who specialized in buying cows from Senegal and selling same in Eastern Nigeria and asked him to bring money to join the said business because it is lucrative, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 311 of the same law.’’

Upon arraignment, he pleaded "guilty".

In view of his plea, prosecuting counsel, B.M. Balarabe asked the court to convict and sentence him in line with the plea bargain agreement agreed between the prosecution and the defence.

However, counsel for the defence, Y.Y. Gwazawa, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his client was a student and a first-time offender who had shown remorse for his misdeed.

"The defendant has also restituted the victim in the sum of N450,000," Gwazawa added.

 Justice Duwale convicted and sentenced him to one year in prison with N50,000 option of  fine.

 

Media & Publicity

January 30, 2020