Justice 0.0. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced two, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadia Adekunle to 46 years in jail for impersonating Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials while carrying out a bogus court order.
According to a statement issued by the agency on Saturday, June 15, they were re-arraigned by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Command on an amended five-count charge of impersonation, attempting to obtain property, possessing documents containing false pretence, and unlawfully wearing the EFCC uniform.
One of the counts reads; “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadia 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.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli