Justice
Binta Fatima Isah of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria, today
January 17, 2017 convicted and sentenced one Jehu Kwasu to three years
imprisonment without option of fine on a two count charge of forgery and
obtaining by false pretence.
The
convict’s journey to prison started when the commission received a petition
from one Chief Okafor, Chairman of Chikason Group of Companies, alleging
that the convict impersonated one Bishop Josiah Fearon and obtained the sum of
N5,000,000 from him under the pretext that the funds would be used to help the
2011 post election violence victims in Kaduna.
Upon
his arraignment, the convict was granted bail by the court but he violated the
bail terms and absconded. The convict was eventually brought back to the
commission by his sureties and subsequently presented before the court.
Again, he was again granted bail. Just
as it happened in the first instance, he jumped and disappeared. It took the
intervention of the Nigeria Police that
arrested him for attempting to defraud a former governor of Abia State while
posing as the respected Catholic priest, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah , to bring
him to justice.
In today’s proceeding, the convict changed his
plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty’.
In
view of his new plea, counsel for the prosecution, B. M Buhari, urged the court
to convict him accordingly.
Justice
Binta convicted Kwasu and sentenced him to two years imprisonment for the
offence of obtaining by false pretence and one year imprisonment for the
offence of forgery. The sentence is to run concurrently. The convict was also
ordered to restitute the sum of N5, 000,000 (Five Million Naira Only) to the
complainant.
In
a related development, Justice Idrissa
Kolo of the Federal High Court Kano today January 17, 2017 convicted and
sentenced one Christopher Ngene to nine years imprisonment without option of
fine on three counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
The
convict fraudulently induced the complainant through a phone call to part with
the sum of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) on the pretext that the
money would be used to purchase solar panel. After he obtained the money from
the complainant, he again called the complainant and demanded a further sum of
N150, 000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) which according to him
would be used to register the complainant’s company with the Corporate Affairs
Commission.
Upon
arraignment on 24th November, 2014, he pleaded not guilty when the charge was
read to him and he was eventually remanded in prison custody pending his
perfection of bail terms which he could not fulfill up till today.
In today's proceedings, the convict
dramatically asked the court to read the charge again and subsequently changed
his plea of not guilty to guilty.
In
view of his latest plea, prosecution counsel Musa Isah urged the court to
convict him accordingly.
Justice
Idrissa subsequently convicted Christopher and sentenced him to a prison term
of three years on each of the three count charge. The sentence is to run concurrently
from the day of his arrest.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head
Media & Publicity
17th
January, 2017
Kwasu
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