The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Office on Friday, September 13, 2019, secured the conviction of one Charles Chijioke Iwu.
The Commission had arrested, investigated and taken Chijioke before Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Following a plea bargain agreement between him and the Commission, he was re-arraigned on a two-count amended charge that replaced the initial charge against him.
One of the Count reads: “That you, Charles Chijioke Iwu sometime in June, 2019 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court; had in your possession documents containing false pretence; to wit document labeled FBI scam, document of scanned FBI Logo, document of scanned US Naval Seal, document of scanned US Military Crest, document of scanned US Air Force Seal, document of scanned Philippine Passport; which documents you knew contained false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge.
In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, G. G. Chia-Yakua, urged the Court to accept the plea bargain and convict him accordingly.
Justice Maha pronounced him guilty and subsequently convicted him to three month imprisonment, also to pay fine of N200,000 (Two hundred Thousand Naira), forfeit Fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) found in his Access bank account and his laptop to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Also, the Court ordered the convict to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour and never to be involved in any form of fraud within and outside the country, adding that failure to comply will attract judicial sanctions.
Court also ordered him to be remanded in prison custody pending the payment of fine.