The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, on November 17, 2016 secured the conviction of Chidi
Onouha, who was brought before Justice Beatrica Iliya of the Gombe State High
Court, on a two-count charge bordering on advance fee fraud.
Onouha
was arrested by the EFCC following a petition by Joseph Goje on June 1, 2016
which alleged that the convict in partnership with his accomplice, Chinedu,
currently at large, connived to hack into his GTBank account, and fraudulently
transferred N1,560,735 (One Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Seven
Hundred and Thirty Five Naira).
The
fraudsters connived to gain access into his internet banking accessories, his
token device, email account, and mobile phone. They blocked his access and used
the devices to defraud him of the said sum.
On
contacting his bank, Goje, who is studying in the United Kingdom, was informed
that his account had been tampered with by an undisclosed third party.
Subsequently, he petitioned the EFCC, which immediately swung into action.
Onouha
was subsequently arrested and charged to court. He pleaded guilty to the
charges.
Upon
his acceptance of guilt, counsel to EFCC, Israel Akande, urged the court to
convict him and sentence him to jail.
However,
counsel to the defendant, Abubakar Bormi, asked for clemency, arguing that his
25-year-old client showed remorse in the course of the trial, and had made
restitution by refunding the money of his victim. He urged the court to temper
justice with mercy.
The
trial judge, having found the accused guilty of the offence, however, gave
consideration to the argument of the defence. She thereafter gave the convict a
fine of N100,000 on each of the counts, failure of which he should remain in
prison custody.
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