N7m Fraud: Court Jails Two For 11 Years

An Abuja High Court sitting in Apo area of the city has sentenced a former staff of Abuja Geographic Information Systems, Mark Egwuma, and a businessman, Emmanuel Madubueze, to 11 years in prison over N7m fraud.

The sentence was handed despite the return of the money to their victim. The two men were dragged before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for using a fake land document to defraud Tobechukwu Obiechina under the pretence that they were selling a plot of land in Guzape district of Abuja to him.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the commission, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, on Monday, the accused persons were found guilty on the six counts preferred against them by the ICPC counsel.

One of the counts read, “Emmanuel Madubueze, Sabo Zabwami Auta, Mark Egwuma, and one Mohammed Sanni Abdu (now at large) on or about the month of May 2015, at Abuja, forged a title document of plot 1693 Guzape, Cadastral Zone AO9, Abuja FCT, with the name of Mohammed Sanni Abdu with the intent to fraudulently use same to defraud one Tobechukwu Obiechina of the sum of N7m. The document you claimed to be a genuine title document when was forged and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act.”

Charles Ohemu and O. Okokpujie, who represented the two men in court pleaded with the court to be lenient with their clients, claiming that they were first-time offenders and good family men with young children to cater for. The counsel said their clients had shown remorse by paying back the N7m.

While delivering her judgment, Justice A Otaluka acquitted Auta, explaining that his role of helping to secure a buyer for the land was done without the knowledge that the title documents were forged.

Justice Otaluka noted that Madubeze and Egwuma willfully committed the crime and should be made to face the law. While sentencing Madubueze to four years imprisonment with an option of N250, 000 fine on counts one to four, Otaluka said the culprit would serve two years imprisonment on counts five and six without any option of a fine.

The judge also sentenced Egwuma to four years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200, 000 on counts one to four and six months each on counts five and six, stating that the sentences would run concurrently.