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Man bags one-year jail term in Sokoto

Published

3 years ago

July 4, 2022

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

Samuel was arraigned on a 1-count amended charge of cheating contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 311 of the same law.

Upon arraignment, Samuel pleaded guilty to the charge.

In view of defendant’s plea, the prosecution counsel, B M. Balarabe, asked the court to convict and sentence the defendant in line with the plea bargain agreement.

However, the defence counsel, Y. Y Gwazawa, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his client was a student and a first time offender who has become remorseful.

He also told the court that the defendant has restituted the victim in the sum of N450, 000.00.

Justice Duwale, thereafter convicted and sentenced the defendant to one (1) year imprisonment with an option of fine of fifty thousand Naira (N50, 000).

The charge reads: “That you Chiagoze Samuel Chukwujiekwu and Onu Okafor now (at large) on or about the 6th 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 sum of N450,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from Chijioke Akujieze.

“That you falsely represented yourself to him to be an international businessman who specialised 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.’’

The convict’s journey to prison started sometime in November 2018 when he lured the complainant into the business of buying cows from Senegal and he fraudulently obtained the sum of four hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N450,000.00.00) from him and disappeared.