Man bags five-year jail term for N668,000 fraud in Sokoto

A Sokoto State High Court, sitting in Sokoto the state capital has convicted and sentenced a fraudster, Umaru Isma’il, to five years imprisonment without an option of fine for obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N668,000.

The court presided over by Justice Bello Duwale, sentenced and convicted Isma’il on Monday, October 12.

The convict was prosecuted by the Sokoto Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) on an eight-count amended charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.

One of the charges read, “That you Umaru Ismaila sometime between the months of March, 2017, June and July, 2018 at Sokoto within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of N668,000.00 (Six Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand Naira) from one Sani Musa, when you falsely represented yourself to him as capable of making him become rich (wealthy) by praying for him, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

READ ALSO: EFCC arraigns bank manager for alleged theft of $50,000

Isma’il pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which necessitated his trial.

Prosecution counsel, Habila Jonathan, in the course of the trial tendered several documents and called six witnesses to prove the case against the convict.

Justice Duwale convicted Isma’il on all the charges, and sentenced him to five years on each of the eight counts, without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.

In addition, the Judge ordered the convict to restitute the sum of N668,000 to the victim through the EFCC.

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