The Borno State High Court in Maiduguri has sentenced two accused Goni Muhammad and Seidu Seriki Hamani to seven years imprisonment, for offering fake gold belonging to former first lady of Nigeria, Mrs Patience Jonathan to their victims.
Penpushing reports that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri Zonal Command secured the conviction of the duo on Thursday, having earlier being arraigned on May 16, 2023 on two- count charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N 26, 492,000
The statement by the Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale and made available to journalists said the convicts were arraigned before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, the state capital
‘That you, Goni Mohammad and Seidu Seriki Hamman sometimes in January, 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtained 2 grams of gold at the rate of N26, 492,000.00 (Twenty Six Million Four Hundred and Ninety Two Thousand Naira) allegedly belonging to the wife of the former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan under the false pretence which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act’, one of the count reads
Penpushing further reports that the defendants pleaded not guilty’ when the charges were read to them., while the council to the commission Mukhtar Ali Ahmed presented three witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits before the court.
The defence counsel, H. Waziri, however, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy and consider their in-ability to secure bail after they were arraigned before the court, but the court found them guilty and convicted them
Penpushing also reports that in her judgment, the judge found them guilty, convicted and sentenced them on count one to seven years imprisonment each for the offence of conspiracy and seven years for the offence of obtaining under false pretence.
The Judge further ordered Muhammad to pay the balance of N16, 492,000.00 to his victim or serve additional seven years imprisonment, while the jail terms are to commence from the day they were first arraigned and run concurrently.
Penpushing reports that the convicts bagged the jail term when they were arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)for conspiring and obtaining N26, 492,000 from their victims under the guise of selling two grams of gold belonging to a former first lady
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