Nation
Nigerian-American Surgeon Jailed 27 Years For Fraud
A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State, has sentenced a Nigerian-American-trained surgeon, John Nweke, to 27 years imprisonment for fraudulently obtaining goods from Konga Online Shopping Limited.
Justice Abdulazeez Anka delivered the judgement in Lagos.
The goods allegedly obtained by the suspect include 19 expensive smartphones and two cameras valued at N35m.
The spokesperson for the Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos State, Eyitayo Johnson, in a statement on Wednesday, said the defendants were arraigned in 2016 before honourable Justice Abdulazeez Anka of Federal High Court, Ikoyi, for conspiracy and obtaining property under false pretences.
He said, “They were charged under the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006. On February 14, 2022, the Honourable Court found the defendant guilty as charged and sentenced him to 27 years imprisonment without an option of fine and ordered him to pay the money back to the victim of the fraud as restitution.
“The two accomplices, Stephen AnekeIgwe (now deceased) and Kelechi Emenike, were later discharged”.
The spokesperson, in another development, said an appellant and four others were successfully prosecuted in 2019 before Honourable Justice I. N. Buba of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, for conspiracy and obtaining the sum of N187m from one Alh. Tayo Adeitan, under false pretenses.
According to him, “The appellant was convicted, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine and ordered to pay back the money to the victim of the fraud, as restitution.
“In the same year, 2019, he filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence. On February 4, 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld the argument of the Police Special Fraud Unit, dismissed the appeal and affirmed the conviction and sentence”.
Similarly, the PPRO said another appellant – a corporate entity owned and operated by one Alh. Suleiman Yerima (now deceased), was used as a front to fraudulently obtain the sum of N157m from Dashad Bureau De Change Ltd, under false pretences.
Johnson said in 2019, the Federal High Court convicted the company and sentenced it to a winding-up with all its assets/property forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria, as restitution.
“In 2020, the company appealed the judgement. However, on February 4, 2022, the Court of Appeal, Lagos, upheld the arguments of the Police Special Fraud Unit, dismissed the said appeal and affirmed the conviction and sentence of the appellant,” he said.
The PPRO also said another appellant and its alter-egos, MfonIni Unam and Uwem Antia, conspired together and used the appellant as a sham company to obtain the sum of N370m from Alh. Tayo Adeitan, also under false pretenses.
He stated that the company was convicted and sentenced to a winding-up while all its assets were forfeited to the Federal Government, as restitution.
Johnson added, “In 2020, the company appealed the judgement. On February 18, 2022, the Court of Appeal, Lagos, upheld Police Special Fraud Unit arguments against the appeal, dismissed the same and unanimously affirmed the conviction and sentence of the appellant”.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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