The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zone, on Thursday, secured the conviction of two lawyers over fraud-related crimes.
The lawyers, Sogo Akinola and Feranmi Akinluyi, were sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
“That you, Sogo Akinola and Feranmi Akinluyi, between October 13, 2016, and November 13, 2016 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N24m from Olawale Oyetunde, under the pretence that the money was part-payment for the purchase of property at 21, Adegbenle Street, Chevy View Estate, off Chevron Drive, Lekki Lagos, which representation you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006,” one of the counts read.
A full trial was required after both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the anti-graft agency.
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The Prosecution counsel, Spiff Owede, called a total of five witnesses to the stand and presented multiple documents which were all admissible as evidence before the Justice Taiwo-presiding court.
In her judgment, Justice Taiwo found that the defendants were guilty of the offence.
She subsequently sentenced them to 2 years imprisonment with the option of a N1 Million fine.
In a statement issued by the EFCC, through its Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Wilson Uwajarem, the Commission recounted that the convicted lawyers were initially arraigned in October 2018.
Three counts were preferred against them which bothered on stealing, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence, to the tune of N24 Million.
In the current year (2020), The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced it recorded 646 convictions.
The Commission also recovered more than N11 billion in monetary assets this year.
Only recently, in September 2020, the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, convicted Calabar-based lawyer, Ezechi Okereke, for obtaining the sum of N3.45m from one Enwono Eyo, under false pretences, in a failed land transaction.