By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court , Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday convicted and sentenced one Chukwuemeka Udezuka to 12 years’ imprisonment for stealing a total sum of ₦64,060,000 (Sixty-Four Million, Sixty Thousand Naira).
The judgment followed the court’s finding that the defendant was guilty of a four-count charge of stealing filed against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Udezuka, alongside his company, Mezu Connection Investment Limited, was accused of collecting funds from four victims under the pretext of helping them convert naira to United States dollars at the official Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) exchange rate.
According to the prosecution, after receiving the money, the defendant allegedly disappeared and became unreachable, leaving the victims unable to recover their funds.
The defendant was arraigned on January 31, 2024, on a four-count charge bordering on stealing, contrary to Sections 278 and 285(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
One of the charges stated:
“That you, Chukwuemeka Udezuka and Mezu Connection Investment Limited, sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of ₦28,000,000 (Twenty-Eight Million Naira), being the property of Chizoba Benson Chiegwu.”
Another count alleged:
“That you, Chukwuemeka Udezuka and Mezu Connection Investment Limited, sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of ₦17,360,000 (Seventeen Million, Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira), being the property of Hojoli Augustine Okechukwu.”
During the trial, prosecuting counsel, I.O. Daramola, called seven witnesses and tendered several documents, including the defendant’s extra-judicial statements, bank correspondence, and account records, all of which were admitted in evidence by the court.
Delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court described the defendant’s actions as “premeditated” and deserving of appropriate punishment.
The judge consequently sentenced Udezuka to three years’ imprisonment on each of the four counts, bringing the total sentence to 12 years. The sentences are to run consecutively.
During allocutus, the convict pleaded for leniency, expressing remorse for his actions and asking the court for a second chance. His counsel, Emeka Ezeobi, also appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy.
However, Justice Oshodi held that the seriousness of the offence warranted a custodial sentence. The court further ordered the convict to make full restitution to all four victims from the date of judgment and to file an affidavit of compliance within 90 days.
In addition, the court imposed financial penalties on Mezu Connection Investment Limited, ordering the company to pay a fine of ₦500,000 on each of the four counts.
