Two fake EFCC operatives, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, will be spending the next 46 years in prison custody for executing fake Court order in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, who found them guilty and sentenced them accordingly for impersonation.
They were re-arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC on an amended five-count charge bordering on impersonation, attempt to obtain property, possession of documents containing, false pretence and unlawfully wearing the uniform of the EFCC.
One of the counts read: “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, attempted to obtain property from one Oriyomi Johnson under the pretext that the “Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos State Judiciary, Mushin, Lagos” issued an Order to the effect that the property located at New Horizon Estate, Lekki- Ikate, Lagos, be seized and the said apartment sealed pending the arrival of the said Oriyomi Johnson, which representation you knew to be false and committed an offence of attempt to obtain property by false pretense contrary to Sections 8(b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section11(3) of the same Act.”
The second count read: “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court not being a person holding any office in or authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, wore a jacket bearing the official mark of the Commission ,which was calculated to convey the impression that you held such authority and committed an offence of unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission contrary to Section 79(1) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
They pleaded guilty.
The prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid Lamido Tukur, presented the facts of the matter since they pleaded guilty and asked the Court to sentence them accordingly.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Abike-Fadipe, found them guilty as charged on counts one, two, three, four and five. The defendants, who were given an opportunity to address the Court, pleaded for mercy.
However, while 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.
The convicts were arrested sometime in May, 2021, following credible intelligence received by the Commission while they were in the middle of an illegal operation at the New Horizon Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
Items recovered from them at the point of arrest included fake EFCC identity cards, jackets, and a Court order purported to have emanated from Mushin Magistrate Court.
They were subsequently arraigned on October 12, 2021 an amended five-count charge, to which they initially pleaded not guilty.
The convicts were taken to Ikoyi correctional center, where they will serve their prison terms in line with the judgment of the Court.