A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, has convicted and sentenced one Chukwuema Andrew to 30 months Imprisonment over $5,000 fraud.
The convict, was arraigned in court by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on two-count charges bordering on obtaining under false pretence and impersonation.
Count one of the suit reads: “That you, Chukwuema Samuel Andrew (A.K.A Mary Parlier) sometime in April, 2021 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of $5,000 from Crystal Shepherd under the pretext of being Mary Parlier, a female military soldier serving in Yemen as a computer operator, a pretext which to your knowledge was false”.
The offence committed is contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
When the charge was read before the convict in court, he pleaded guilty.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, B. O. Agala prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
But the defense counsel P. U. Ogbuehi who did not oppose the submission of the prosecution, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy stressing that “the defendant is a first time offender and does not have any previous criminal records”.
After hearing the submissions of the parties in the matter, the trial judge, Justice P. I. Ajoku convicted and sentenced the defendant to 30 months imprisonment on counts one and two.
The judge also gave the convict an option of fine of N200, 000, to be payed into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The sentence is to run concurrently.
Justice Ajoku further ordered that phones recovered from the convict at the scene of arrest should be forfeited to the Federal GPort Harcourt Man city overnment of Nigeria and the convict should also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.
Andrew has been in the Correctional Centre after he was arrested by the EFCC during an operation code named “Eagle Sweep” in June, 2023, at Golf Estate, Port Harcourt for internet fraud activities.
During the EFCC investigation, it was discovered that he (convict) has been impersonating foreigners to dupe his victims. He defrauded his victims to the tune of $5,000.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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