It is a tough time for two Nigerian businessmen involved in fraud after they were sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court.
The two businessmen thrown into prison
Justice Fadawu Umar of the State High Court Maiduguri, Borno State, on Monday, January 15, 2018 sentenced Prince Philip Power and Attah Adoga to ten years imprisonment on each of the 2-counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false presence preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The court also ordered the convicts to pay N150,000 as restitution to the nominal complainant, which if "in default"; would attract two years prison term.
Trouble started for Power and Adoga on July 14, 2017 following a petition alleging that the duo conspired and defrauded a complainant to the tune of N150,000 under the pretext that the said sum would be used to service his (complainant) interest in a business for supply of fifty-one samples of iron scrap.
The convicts collected the money using the account of one Musa Bello, and further requested additional N2million before the supply would be made, while not supplying the materials as promised.
The offence contravenes Sections 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 1(1)(b) respectively.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered twelve documents as exhibits.
The court, on January 8, convicted the defendant and reserved their sentencing till today. In his ruling, Justice Umar ordered that the balance of N160,000 in the account of the said 'Musa Bello' (the man whose account was purportedly used to perpetrate the crime) be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judge also ordered the account of the accomplice domiciled in the First City Monument Bank to be closed down.