By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja

A High Court sitting in Okene yesterday on Friday sentenced
a Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Joseph Idachaba to seven
years in prison for fraudulently enriching himself with over
N1.4 million belonging to Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS.
Justice Josiah Majebi of Okene High Court handed down the
sentence in the case of three-count charge of criminal
conspiracy, falsehood and fraud in a case Idachaba was
arraigned along with one other staff of the Prisons Service,
Ruth Onoja in February, by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The duo were alleged to have violated provisions of the
EFCC Act No. 14 of 2006 in the fraudulent transfer of
N1,403,114.09 from the accounts of NPS through payment of
salaries to a ghost staff, one Opia Mohammed Ugbede.
Prosecution submitted that the unknown Ugbede later paid
the amount into Idachaba’s account.
Majebi in his judgement said the prosecution had proved
the case of fraud against the accused beyond reasonable
doubt and went ahead to convict him of the charge but
acquitted him of conspiracy and falsehood.
He said that the convict had initially admitted commission of
the crime in his statement but later turned around to deny
it. ”The claim of the 1st accused (Idachaba) that he does not
know Opia Mohammed Ugbede who was alleged to have
paid the money into his account is but an afterthought.
“To believe the story of the 1st accused in the face of the
overwhelming evidence adduced by the prosecution is to
believe the holiness of a Bishop hanging a talisman on his
neck.”
“It is my view and I hold that by the pieces of evidence
aforementioned in this judgement, the prosecution has
established that the 1st accused knowingly misrepresented
Mohammed Ugbede Opia as a member of staff of NPS with
the intention to defraud the service.”
Majebi therefore sentenced the accused to seven years in
prison in accordance with section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee
Fraud and Other related Offences Act No 14 of 2006. The 2nd
accused, Onoja, was however discharged and acquitted as
the prosecution could not establish the charge of conspiracy
to link her with commission of the crime.

Good development.

All the weeds in our polity shall be uprooted

What is the difference btw warders & prisoners? They are all prisoners...

Professional hazzard.

iykololo:
By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja

A High Court sitting in Okene yesterday on Friday sentenced
a Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Joseph Idachaba to seven
years in prison for fraudulently enriching himself with over
N1.4 million belonging to Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS.
Justice Josiah Majebi of Okene High Court handed down the
sentence in the case of three-count charge of criminal
conspiracy, falsehood and fraud in a case Idachaba was
arraigned along with one other staff of the Prisons Service,
Ruth Onoja in February, by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The duo were alleged to have violated provisions of the
EFCC Act No. 14 of 2006 in the fraudulent transfer of
N1,403,114.09 from the accounts of NPS through payment of
salaries to a ghost staff, one Opia Mohammed Ugbede.
Prosecution submitted that the unknown Ugbede later paid
the amount into Idachaba’s account.
Majebi in his judgement said the prosecution had proved
the case of fraud against the accused beyond reasonable
doubt and went ahead to convict him of the charge but
acquitted him of conspiracy and falsehood.
He said that the convict had initially admitted commission of
the crime in his statement but later turned around to deny
it. ”The claim of the 1st accused (Idachaba) that he does not
know Opia Mohammed Ugbede who was alleged to have
paid the money into his account is but an afterthought.
“To believe the story of the 1st accused in the face of the
overwhelming evidence adduced by the prosecution is to
believe the holiness of a Bishop hanging a talisman on his
neck.”
“It is my view and I hold that by the pieces of evidence
aforementioned in this judgement, the prosecution has
established that the 1st accused knowingly misrepresented
Mohammed Ugbede Opia as a member of staff of NPS with
the intention to defraud the service.”
Majebi therefore sentenced the accused to seven years in
prison in accordance with section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee
Fraud and Other related Offences Act No 14 of 2006. The 2nd
accused, Onoja, was however discharged and acquitted as
the prosecution could not establish the charge of conspiracy
to link her with commission of the crime.

MOGBE