University Graduate, Obinna Udoji Bags One Year Jail Term For $9,654 Fraud

University Graduate, Obinna Udoji Bags One Year Jail Term For $9,654 Fraud

EFCC has secured the conviction of Obinna Udoji, a graduate of the Department of Building Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, for a $9,654 fraud.

He was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on January 7, 2019
following intelligence report that he fraudulently obtained money from
one Alina Ruso, which he claimed was to be invested in a company, Zenith
Margin, which turned out to be false. He was subsequently arraigned
before Justice A.O. Onovo of an Enugu State High Court, for the offence
of obtaining money by false pretence, to which he pleaded “guilty”.

The trial judge, however, asked the prosecution led by Innocent
Mbachie, to present its witness, “in order for the court to hear the
facts of the case”.  Thereafter, a prosecution witness was called, who
narrated how an intelligence report was received by the EFCC, which led
to the investigation and arrest of Udoji.

Tendered as evidence, were the intelligence report, statements, bank
statements, scanned emails from Udoji’s computer and emails from the
EFCC to the victim to establish the case, including Udoji’s application
for plea bargain.

Mbachie, further told the court that Udoji had returned the money to
his victim, and urged the court to “convict him in accordance to Section
367 subsection 8, 9 and 10 of the Administration of criminal Justice
Act”.

Defence counsel, T.U. Nweke, pleaded with the judge to “temper
justice with mercy” as his client was a first-time offender and an
orphan. Justice Onovo, on February 7, 2019 sentenced him to one year in
prison, noting that, “I took cognizance of his plea and his restituting
of the total sum to the victim”.