The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, secured the conviction and sentencing of David Osigbe Irumekhei to six months imprisonment before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri for his involvement in a contract scam.
The convict was arraigned on separate amended one count charge of cheating to the tune of N22.9million and N5million respectively.
David’s journey to prison began when the Commission received petitions from two complainants: Annur Adam and Mohammed Kolare, accusing him of obtaining the above sums from them under the pretext of executing contracts purportedly awarded to him by a Non- Governmental Organization called Terre Des Hommes.
The first amended charge reads: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhei, sometime between October and December, 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced Annur Adam by deceiving him to deliver the total sum of Twenty Two Million Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N22,900,000.00), being money allegedly to finance a contract with Terres Des Hummes Medicin Du Monde and Danish Refugee Council, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Law Cap 102 Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”
The other charge reads: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhei, sometime between October and December, 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced Mohammed Kolare by deceiving him to deliver the total sum of Five Million (N5,000,000.00) being money allegedly to finance a contract with Terres Des Hummes Medicin Du Monde and Danish Refugee Council, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Law Cap 102 Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”
When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded “guilty” to the amended charge preferred against him.
Justice Kumaliya convicted and sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on the amended charge of N5million with an option of N300,000 fine.
On the other charge involving N22.9million, the convict was sentenced to a fine of N200,000. The court further ordered the convict to pay the sum of N5.4million in restitution to the victim, Annur Adam, and ‘‘in default of payment the convict shall serve five years jail term.’’
