Fake Etisalat Staff Jailed over Multi-million Naira Contract Scam

Wale Igbintade

A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced a fraudster, Emeka Anaga to 12 years imprisonment for conspiracy and fraud.

Justice Akintayo Aluko gave the verdict through zoom, while delivering judgment in two separate charges filed against the convict by the Abakaliki Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The convict was arraigned before the Abakiliki, Ebonyi State division of the Federal High Court, in 2018 and 2019, where Justice Aluko was formerly sitting, on charges marked FHC/AI/8c/2019 and FHC/AI/62c/2018.

In the charges, the convict and one Ken, a barrister, said to be at large, were accused of introducing themselves to their victims, as staff of Etisalat Telecommunications Limited now 9Mobile, that he was capable of securing them a contract to supply fuel to all Etisalat telecommunication mast stations.

“To be precise, he was accused of fraudulently obtaining various sum amounting to N37, 805 million from one Innocent Nwanchukwu, the managing director of IB Nwanchukwu Enterprises, under false pretence of securing a contract for him to install mast and fuel at different locations in the country.

He was also accused of forging MTN’s identity card.

In the two charges, the convict was alleged to have defrauded his victims of various sums running into millions of naira.

The prosecutor, Rotimi Ajobiewe, had told the court that the offences committed by the convict contravened Sections 8(a); 1(c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. And Section 2(C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, 2004 punishable under the same section of the Act.

The convict had pleaded not guilty to all the count charges, on his arraignment in 2018 and 2019, respectively. He was admitted to bail in various terms, but unable to perfect such.

Delivering judgment, Justice Aluko convicted the defendant in all 39 counts on the charge marked FHC/AI/8c/2019, except on counts one to four, 29 and 34. The judge also convicted him on count one of the charge marked FHC/AI/62c/2018.

Following the Judge’s pronouncement on the convict, his counsel, O. Okorie, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.

He urged the court to consider the period his client had spent in custody, and that he has a young family that looks up to him.

However, Justice Aluko, while pronouncing the sentence on charge marked FHC/AI/8c/2019, held that the convict is sentence to 12 years imprisonment in 33 out 39 counts charge, without an option of fine.

The Judge also held that the period the convict already spent in prison custody shall be computed and deducted from the terms of imprisonment in respect of all the counts.

The court also ordered that the sentences and terms of imprisonment in all the counts shall run concurrently and not consecutively.

He also ordered the convict to make restitution of the sum of N37.8 million fraudulently obtained from Innocent Nwanchukwu, the Managing Director of IB. Nwanchukwu Enterprise.

On the charge marked FHC/AI/62c/2018, Justice Aluko held that: “I have listened to the plea of allocutus made for the convict. I have taken into account all the aggravating and mitigating factors highlighted in Sections 311, 401 and 416 of the Administration Justice Act.

“By the combined effect of the provision of Sections 1 (c) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, the offence in count one of the charges attracts imprisonment for a term of not more than 20 years and not less than seven years without the option of a fine.