By our Reporter
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, convicted and sentenced one Alhaji Nasiru Adinoyi Ogara, a retiree of the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, to 16 years imprisonment for N24m fraud.
Ogara and his company, New Age Motor Waste Basket Limited, were prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and issuance of dud cheques to the tune of N24m.
The offences are contrary to Section 1(1) (b) and (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Fraud Offences Act 2006, bordering on obtaining by false pretence.
He was also accused of contravening Section 1(1) (b) and 2(b) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act in counts three and four.
He pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges when he was first arraigned in February 2018.
In the course of the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses through whom several documents were tendered and admitted by the court as exhibits against the defendant.
The victim also testified as the first prosecution witness.
Subsequently, the defence opened its case with the defendant, who claimed to be a retiree of the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, testifying as the first defence witness and denying the allegations.
Two other witnesses were also called in his defence, through whom several documents were tendered.
In his final written address, the defence counsel, Yekeen Kolawole, urged the court to hold that the prosecution failed to prove the case and that “ no prima facie case has been made against the defendants”.
The prosecution counsel, N.K.Ukoha, in his final written address, urged the court to hold that the prosecution effectively proved its case against the defendants and so should convict them as charged.
Delivering judgement, Justice Dada held that the prosecution effectively proved the ingredients of the offences filed against the defendants.
Justice Dada pronounced him guilty on counts one to three and sentenced him to 14 years in prison on counts one and two, and two years on count three.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
He was, however, discharged on count four.
The company was fined 15Million (N5million on counts one to three).
It was further ordered to be wound up with its assets sold and the revenue used to pay his victim.
The convict was also ordered to restitute the sum of N24, 330,000.00 to the victim.