…Filipino Gets four Months over Issuance of Dud Cheque
Justice Babatunde O. Qaudri of the Federal High Court, Gombe, on Wednesday convicted and sentenced Habila A. Mamman aka Luka Audu, 53, to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Mamman, who specialises in using different identities to defraud his victims, is to serve his imprisonment with hard labour.
He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) based on three separate petitions received from Alhaji Dauda Gombe, Obadiah Abba and Mrs. Vasty Yakubu against him.
The accused is said to have obtained various sums of money from the complainants under false pretence contrary to Section 8 sub section (a) and punishable under Section 1 Sub section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006. Upon his arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty to all the counts.
Counsel to the accused person, A.H. Othman did not object to the plea of the accused person but pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
In his judgement, Justice Qaudri said that based on the plea of the accused person on all the counts, he had no option than to convict and sentence the accused accordingly under the Advance Fee Fraud act, to serve as a deterrence to others.
He consequently sentenced the accused to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine on each of the counts. The sentences are to run concurrently.
In a similar development also on Wednesday, Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja sentenced and convicted one Pastor Elape Robles Jnr, a Filipino, to four months imprisonment over the issuance of dud cheque.
Elape’s prosecution followed a petition to the EFCC by Enyinnaya Emelogu, alleging that he gave Robles Jnr N15 million in November 2009 to transact business but Robles Jnr issued him a cheque of N15 million, which was dishonoured when presented for payment.
