Court convicts self-confessed contractor for N27.9m fraud

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, on Wednesday sentenced one David Osigbe Irumekhei to six months imprisonment for a contract scam.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the convict on a two-count charge of fraud.

The commission told the court that Irumekhei collected N22.9 million and N5 million from the complainants on the pretext of executing contracts purportedly awarded to him by a Non- Governmental Organisation, Terre Des Hummes.

The charge read: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhei, sometime between October and December 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced Annur Adam by deceiving him to deliver the total sum of Twenty Two Million Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N22,900,000.00), being money allegedly to finance a contract with Terres Des Hummes Medicin Du Monde and Danish Refugee Council, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Law Cap 102 Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”

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The other charge read: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhei, sometime between October and December 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced Mohammed Kolare by deceiving him to deliver the total sum of Five Million (N5,000,000.00) being money allegedly to finance a contract with Terres Des Hummes Medicin Du Monde and Danish Refugee Council, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Law Cap 102 Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”

Irumekhei pleaded guilty to the charges.

Justice Kumaliya sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on the second charge.

He was however given an option of N300,000 fine.

On the charge involving N22.9 million, the convict was ordered to pay a fine of N200,000.

The judge also asked Irumekhei to pay the sum of N5.4 million to the victim, Annur Adam, or face a five-year prison term for default.

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