Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Benin, on Thursday sentenced one Obawaeki Jude Isibor to five years imprisonment for obtaining by false pretence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the convict on a one-count charge of fraud.
He was arrested by the commission for defrauding his victim of N1.8 million through an employment scam.
The charge read: “That you Obawaeki Jude Isibor (m) sometime between March and April 2021 in Benin City within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N1,800,000 from Omosigho Sarah Oduna via your bank account number 2022683100 domiciled in First Bank under the false pretence that same was for job opportunities at the Nigeria Immigration Service for her friends which representation you knew is false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3)of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded guilty when the charge was read out to him.
Following the defendant’s plea, the prosecution counsel, I. K. Agwai prayed the court to convict and sentence him according to the plea bargain agreement between the parties.
Justice Shuaibu sentenced the defendant to five years imprisonment.
He was however given an option of a N300,000 fine.
The convict was also asked to write an undertaking to be of good behaviour.
