The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office today March 8,2021 arraigned one Odejobi Temitope Michael before Justice E.N Alukwu of the State High Court sitting in Enugu on one count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira only).
The said sum was inadvertently paid into the defendant’s account by one Chikezie Chukuma, who thought the account belonged to an auto dealer from whom he had wanted to purchase a car sometime in February 2017. It was when he went to take delivery of the car that he realized he had paid into the wrong account.
All entreaties for the defendant to refund the money fell on deaf ears, which prompted Chkwuma to report the case to the EFCC.
The charge reads, “Odejobi Temitope Michael sometimes in February 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court stole the sum of N2, 000,000(Two million Naira) property of one Chikezie David Chukwuma and thereby committed an offence”.
The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charge was read to him.
His lawyer B.J Adigwe filed a motion for the bail of his client pending the determination of the case.
But the prosecution counsel S.C Anyanwu opposed the bail application, arguing that the defendant might not return to face trial, if he goes back to the Republic of Benin where he resides. She urged the Court to give the matter an accelerated hearing.
After listening to counsel, Justice Alukwu ordered the remand of the defendant in the EFCC Custody and adjourned the matter till April 25, 2021 for hearing.
In another development, , Justice I.M. Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced two false whistle blowers: Dominic Okem and Chukwunonso Igweonu, to two months imprisonment each for conspiracy and giving misleading and false information.
They were convicted on March 4, 2021 after pleading “guilty” to two- count charges bordering on giving false information, following their arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
One of the charges read: “That you Dominic Okem and Chukwunonso Igweonu on or about the 22nd Day of January, 2021 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire between yourselves to give false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to wilt: huge fund were found at Enu/Akwu Street, Federal Housing Estate, in Calabar Cross Rivers State, which information turned out to be false, untrue/misleading and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 39 (2) (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.
Based on their “guilty” plea, prosecution counsel, F.O. Amama prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. The defence counsel. E. Wanogho however, prayed the court not to raise its hammer too hard as the defendants were actually carrying out their civic responsibilities in line with the whistle blowing policy of the Federal Government. He regretted that the effort to expose the proceeds of crime turned out otherwise
In his judgment, Justice Sani found Okem and Igweonu guilty as charged and convicted and sentenced them to two months imprisonment, with an option of fine of One Hundred Thousand Naira( N100,000) each.
The convicts got into trouble when they misinformed the EFCC that they saw a huge sum of money in a house, located at Enu-Aqua in Cross River State. However, when operatives of the Commission executed a search warrant on the said property, nothing incriminating was found.
