Two men who claimed to be operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been jailed for 46 years for offences that bordered on impersonation and fraud.
The two fake operatives – Ugwu Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle, were arrested in May 2021 at New Horizon Estate, Lekki, Lagos, while executing a fake court order following credible intelligence received by the commission.
According to the spokesman of the commission, Dele Oyewale, items recovered from the criminals at the point of arrest included fake EFCC identity cards, jackets and a court order allegedly from Mushin Magistrate Court.
They were subsequently arraigned on October 12, 2021 by the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC on a five-count charge, amended to include impersonation, attempted property fraud, possession of false documents, and unlawful use of the EFCC uniform.
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The suspects were arraigned before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, where they pleaded guilty to the charges.
After their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel Abdulhamid Tukur, presented a review of the case facts, demonstrating their guilt. Tukur then requested the court to deliver a guilty verdict and impose the corresponding sentences.
Justice Abike-Fadipe found them guilty as charged on counts one, two, three, four and five. The defendants, who were given an opportunity to address the court, pleaded for mercy.
Delivering judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced the defendants each to seven years on counts one to three each, one year on count four and eight months on count five.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, attempted to obtain property from one Oriyomi Johnson under the pretext that the “Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos State Judiciary, Mushin, Lagos” issued an order to the effect that the property located at New Horizon Estate, Lekki-Ikate, Lagos, be seized and the said apartment sealed pending the arrival of the said Oriyomi Johnson, which representation you knew to be false and committed an offence of attempt to obtain property by false pretence contrary to Sections 8(b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section11(3) of the same Act.”
Another count reads, “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court not being a person holding any office in or authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, wore a jacket bearing the official mark of the Commission, which was calculated to convey the impression that you held such authority and committed an offence of unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission contrary to Section 79(1) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
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