The Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, has sentenced two men, Ugwu Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle, to a 46 years combined jail term for impersonating operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and executing a fake court order
This is according to a statement by the EFCC on its Facebook page on Sunday.
According to the anti-graft agency, the convicts were arrested in May 2021 at New Horizon Estate, Lekki, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the commission during which they were carrying out an illegal operation.
At the time of their arrest, exhibits such as fake EFCC identity cards, jackets, and a court order allegedly from Mushin Magistrate Court were recovered from them.
Following their arrest, they were arraigned before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe on October 12, 2021, by the Lagos Command of the EFCC on an amended five counts including impersonation, attempted property fraud, possession of false documents, and unlawful wearing of the EFCC uniform.
The suspects pleaded guilty to the offences when read to them, and following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid Tukur, presented a review of the case facts, requested the court to deliver a guilty verdict and impose the corresponding sentences.
Justice Abike-Fadipe found them guilty as charged on counts one, two, three, four and five.
The defendants, however, pleaded with the judge for mercy.
In her judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe convicted Chijioke and Adekunle to seven years each on counts one to three, one year on count four and eight months on count five.
“Delivering judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced the defendants each to seven years on counts one to three each, one year on count four and eight months on count five.
“The sentences are to run concurrently.”
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