Justice Adamu Hobon of the Federal High Court, Benin, has convicted and sentenced four fraudsters: Aimuamwehi Friday Osareren, Omorede Darlington, Iyokho Nosa and Agugba Chukwuemeka to a total of 160 years imprisonment.
The convicts were first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 18th July, 2011 and 7th December, 2011, on separate charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.
While the first three convicts, (Aimuamwehi Friday Osareren, Omorede Darlington, Iyokho Nosa) were arraigned on an 11-count charge. The fourth, Agugba Chukwuemeka was prosecuted on a two-count charge.
They were all found guilty of the charges.
Justice Hobon convicted Aimuamwehi Friday Osareren on all the eleven charges and sentenced him to ninety eight years imprisonment. Omorede Darlington, and Iyokho Nosa got twenty one years jail term each.
The fourth convict, Agugba Chukwuemeka, who was prosecuted on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and issuance of a dud cheque, was convicted on both counts and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. The convict is to refund N7.5 million to the victim.
One of the charges against the first three convicts read: “that you, Aimuamwehi Friday Osareren, Omorede Darlington and Iyokho Nosa between the month of May and August, 2008 at Benin City within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence from one Cynthia Taylor, an American national and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
A count in the charge against the fourth convict read: “that you Agugba Chukwuemeka, between the month of November, 2009 and August, 2010 at Benin City within the jurisdiction of this honorable court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N7.5m only from one Emmanuel Agbongiague under the false pretence that the said sum of money would be used for the purchase of a property to wit: a house of five bedrooms, five toilets and a car park situated and lying at No. 7 Ahonore close, Uselu, Benin City, in favour of the said Emmanuel Agbongiague, facts which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.
