Man bags two years jail term for defrauding 96-year-old Professor, others

The  Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Special Offences Court Justice, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, has sentenced one Temitope Awobeku, to two years imprisonment over N200 million fraud.

It would be recalled that EFCC received a petition in December 2019 accusing Awobeku of defrauding a 96-year-old man, Prof Joseph Edozien, and several others victims from whom he fraudulently obtained about N200 million.

Awobeku was arraigned on July 22, 2020, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence contrary to Sections 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and Section 287 of the same Law.

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, setting the stage for a full-blown trial.

In the course of the trial, the EFCC presented two witnesses and tendered four exhibits, while the defence called one witness.

Delivering judgment on February 3, 2021, Justice Taiwo, found him guilty on count two and sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 as fine.

The trial judge, however, ordered the 96-year-old victim be restituted “before the convict can enjoy the option of fine in lieu of imprisonment.”

In a related development, Justice Mojisola Dada of a Special Offences Court, Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on February 4, 2021, convicted one Alphonsus Otega Obarakpo (alias Tega), for internet fraud and sentenced him to one-year imprisonment, with an option of fine of N2 million.

The Court further ordered the forfeiture to the Federal Government items recovered from him, including an iPhone X, a laptop and a Toyota Camry Salon car.

Obarakpo was among the suspected internet fraudsters arrested on August 21, 2020, following a raid by operatives at Plot 11/12 Ayo Babatunde Crescent, Lekki, Lagos.

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Man bags two years jail term for defrauding 96-yr-old Professor, others