Justice C. A. Balogun of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, on Tuesday December 4, 2012, sentenced two persons Jeje Olaniran and Rasheed Akanni to one year imprisonment each after both pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The sentence takes effect from October 31, 2012.
The two convicted persons were arraigned with two other persons, Chris Nwaigwe Chukwuebuka and Farouk Balogun on a 26 count charge for offences of forgery and conspiracy to obtain money which is contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap 17, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria , 2003. They were said to have conspired to obtain the sum of N53, 577.594.00 (fifty three million, five hundred and seventy seven thousand and five hundred and ninety seven naira) from one Sani Kabir.
They were arrested sometimes in July 2012 at Lekki Phase 2 Estate, Lagos by operatives of the Commission. The arrest was sequel to a petition from Kabir who is a licensed Bureau De Change operator in Lagos . Sani in the petition alleged that the first defendant, Nwaigwe Chris Chukwuebuka, who he knew through a friend in Malaysia , contacted him via telephone that he had a business partner in America who wanted to invest in Lekki/Ajah area in Lagos .
Sani said he gave Chukwuebuka his account details and the sum of $210,219 (Two Hundred and Ten Thousand, Two Hundred and Nineteen Dollars) was paid into his account on the 27th April, 2012. He then paid naira equivalent, that is, N53, 577.594.00 (fifty three million, five hundred and seventy seven thousand and five hundred and ninety seven naira) to Chukwuebuka.
A twist was however introduced into the transaction when Sani got a call from one of his partners that the funds were being recalled by the remitter's bank. He said he immediately contacted Chukwuebuka who assured him that the funds were not recalled. This however turned out to be false.
While Olaniran and Rasheed who are Chukwuebuka’s accomplices as 3rd and 4th defendants pleaded guilty to the charge after agreeing to refund the sum of N1 million and N500, 000 respectively to the victim, and were subsequently convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment; Chukwuebuka and Farouk Balogun, the first and second defendants respectively, pleaded not guilty. Their case has been adjourned to December 17, 2012 for continuation of trial.
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