Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on Monday sentenced a fraudster, Tunde Martins, to seven years’ imprisonment for N30m fraud.

The convict had obtained the said sum as a loan from Diamond Bank Plc with a forged certificate of occupancy and refused to pay back.

His journey to prison began after he was arraigned alongside his company, Centre Global Limited by the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2018 on three counts bordering on obtaining by false pretenses, forgery and use of false documents, to which he pleaded not guilty.

During Martins’ trial, the prosecution counsel, Anita Imo, tendered several documents as exhibits and called five witnesses.

According to the Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, Justice Oyefeso found Martins guilty of the offenses on September 23, 2020, but deferred ruling to Monday, September 28, 2020.

Delivering her judgment, Oyefeso sentenced the convict to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
She also ordered that his company, Centre Global Limited, be wound up and all the money accrued from it remitted to Diamond Bank Plc.

A former staff of a first generation bank, Oreoluwa Adesakin, has been sentenced to 98 years imprisonment by an Oyo State High Court for stealing millions of naira from her employer.

Justice Muniru Olagunju who delivered the judgment said the court found the woman guilty of financial fraud against her employers to the tune of N49,320,652.32, and additional $368,203 belonging to the bank which she converted to her personal use.

According to Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the convict was prosecuted by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the commission on a 14-count charge, bordering on stealing, forgery and fraudulent accounting.

She pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which necessitated her trial.

Prosecution counsel, Usman Murtala in arguing his case, presented all vital documents and witnesses which nailed the convict.

The judge noted that the EFCC amassed a pool of incontrovertible evidence against the convict and did a diligent investigation and prosecution.

He pronounced Adesakin guilty of all the charges, sentencing her to seven years in prison without an option of fine on each of the 14 counts, which will run concurrently.

Apart from the jail term, the convict is also to restitute to the Bank, through the EFCC, all the money she stole.

The convict was arraigned on April 4, 2014 by the EFCC following a conclusion of investigations against her which arose from a petition from her former employer, dated December 18, 2013

A Plateau State High Court has dismissed the application of Obadiah Mailafia who sought to stop the Nigeria Police Force through the Force Criminal Investigations Department from investigating him in a matter which is also being investigated by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ruling on the application on Tuesday, Justice Arum Ashom of High Court 5, Jos dismissed the application for lacking in merit.

It would be recalled that Mailafia in a radio interview in Lagos on 9th August, 2020, made some allegations which bordered on internal security, alleging that a sitting Governor in one is of the States in the north was a commander of Boko Haram.

Justice Ashom noted that the Police also have the right to investigate Mailafia even though the DSS is doing same.

It was learnt that no new date has been fixed yet for the elections

Equity News recalls that the four Chairmanship contestants: Daniel Okoye, Amanda Asagba, Akeem Aponmade and Oluwaseyi Olawumi had approached the Lagos State High Court seeking for an interim injunction restraining the Caretaker Committee from holding the election

Recall also that Dave Ajetomobi had been appointed on Monday to replace Monday Ubani in the caretaker committee following a petition by the three chairmanship aspirants challenging the Constitution of the Caretaker Committee for not being properly constituted.

Portharcourt—His Lordship, Hon. Justice Zaynab Bashir of the Portharcourt Judicial division of the National Industrial Court has ordered Sojok Energy Resources to pay her former staff Mr. Uzochukwu Ilouno the sum of $9, 000.00 being the balance of his outstanding salary entitlement within 30 days.

The Court held that Mr. Ilouno has also established the days upon which his salaries were not paid upon a preponderance of evidence which remains unchallenged.

From fact, the claimant- Mr. Ilouno had submitted that he was an employee of the firm via a letter of employment dated 10th June, 2014 that their relationship was smooth until sometime in February 2016 when his employment was terminated and the MD promised to pay him all his outstanding salary, that he made several demands for the payment but not successful.

However, the company failed to neither enter appearance nor file any process in defence of the case despite several evidence of service.

The Claimant Counsel Uche Ogwudu Esq with Uzor Anyalechi Esq urged the court to enter judgment in favor of their client with substantial cost.

Delivering Judgment, the presiding Judge, Justice Zaynab Bashir held that the Defendants have failed to enter appearance and defence in the instant case, and it is generally settled that where evidence is unchallenged, the standard becomes minimal to warrant judgment.

“This court finds that the Claimant has specifically pleaded how his salary was agreed to be $200 per day via Exhibit C2 and he has also established through Exhibit C3, the days upon which his salaries were not paid upon a preponderance of evidence which remains unchallenged in view of the fact that the Defendants failed, refused and neglected to enter defence.

“Having said that, the sole issue formulated for the determination of this suit is resolved in favour of the Claimant to the effect that in view of the facts and evidence before the court, the Claimant is entitled to the reliefs sought in the extent to which same has been granted.”