Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on Monday June 22, 2015, convicted and sentenced one Emmanuel Osita (a.k.a Chuks) to three years imprisonment on a two count charge of obtaining money by false pretence. The convict was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, sequel to a petition from a legal practitioner on behalf of one Mrs. Veronica Okonkwo, an eighty-one (81) year-old woman who was the victim.The convicts while operating as a commercial tri-cyclist conspired with other persons who are still at large and falsely represented to the victim that they had the capacity to produce local and foreign currencies from pieces of papers by dipping them into mercury.
Osita and his accomplices hoodwinked the 81-year-old woman to let go the sum of N120, 000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) as registration fee with a mercury company prior to the procurement of the chemical. The octogenarian was also induced to sell her property in Festac Town Lagos for N27 million and the proceeds appropriated by the convict and his co-travellers.
Upon his arrest, the convict was arraigned on 1st July, 2014. He subsequently pleaded guilty after making restitution to the victim; including the property valued at N27 million as the alleged buyer forfeited same to the victim. Based on his plea and the restitution of the victim, Justice Lawal Akapo convicted and sentenced the accused to three years imprisonment without any option of fine.
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