Man bags 7-year jail term over N4.4m fraud

ENUGU—AN Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice C. C Ani has sentenced a businessman, Mr Nicholas Emenike to seven years imprisonment over N4.4 million fraud.

Emenike was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a two-count charge of deceiving a man to supply him rods for the execution of a multi-million naira building contract he claimed to have won and issuing of a dud cheque. In his judgement, Justice C.C Ani on January 4, 2019 found him guilty on count one bordering on obtaining by false pretence and discharged him on count two, bordering on issuance of dud cheque, and sentenced him to seven years in prison A statement by EFCC Ag. Head, Media and Publicity, Tony Orilade said that: “Emenike was on March 27, 2017 arraigned along with his company, Raso Construction Company Limited, at an Enugu State High Court on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N4,467,500. “His  ordeal  began  in 2015 when he was reported to the EFCC by a complainant who alleged that Emenike deceived him into supplying rods for the execution of a multi-million naira building contract he claimed to have won. “After supplying the rods, Emenike issued a post-dated cheque, which was returned unpaid. “Investigation by the  EFCC however revealed that Emenike was never awarded any contract, as there was no document to support his claim. It was further established that he sold the rods and diverted  the proceeds to his personal use.