The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on July 30, 2021, secured the conviction of one Bobai Aya before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court for offences bordering on cheating.
The convict was investigated by the Commission following a petition by a complainant alleging that he was tricked into paying the convict a total sum of N 1,300,000 ( One Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only) for a piece of land which had an uncompleted building located at No. 28 Ovie Akuso Close, Janruwa Kamazo, Kaduna.
He said he discovered that the land was encumbered after payment, but the convict continued to insist otherwise.
Count one of the charges upon which he was jailed reads “That you Bobai Aya sometime in January 2017 in Kaduna within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did cheat one Jehoshaphat Albarka by dishonestly inducing him to him to deliver to you the total sum of N 1,300,000 ( One Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only) when you purportedly sold a piece of land situated at Ovie Akuso Close Janruwa Kamazo Kaduna to him when you knew the said land was already encumbered and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 306 (a) and punishable under Section 307 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State 2017”.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the one-count amended charge. Consequently, the prosecution counsel M.O Arumemi urged the court to convict him.
Justice Khobo convicted and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment with an option of a N100,000 fine.
He was also ordered to restitute his victim to the tune of N1.3million.