Man Bags Seven Years Jail Terms Over Fraud …As a Phillipino Gets four Months Over Issuance of Dud Cheque

Justice Babatunde O. Qaudri of the Federal High Court, Gombe, on January 29, 2014, convicted and sentenced Habila A. Mamman aka Luka Audu, 53, to 7 years imprisonment without an option of fine. Mamman, who specializes in using different identities to defraud his victims, is to serve his imprisonment with hard labour.

Mamman was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 29, based on three separate petitions received from Alhaji Dauda Gombe, Obadiah Abba and Mrs. Vasty Yakubu against him.

The accused is said to have obtained various sums of money from the complainants under false pretence contrary to section 8 sub section (a) and punishable under section 1 sub section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006.  Upon his arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty to all the counts. Counsel to the accused person, A.H. Othman, did not object to the plea of the accused person but pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. Justice Qaudri in his judgment said that based on the plea of the accused person on all the counts, he had no option than to convict and sentence the accused accordingly under the Advance Fee Fraud act, to serve as a deterrence to others. He consequently sentenced the accused to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine on each of the counts. The sentences are to run concurrently. In a similar development, Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, on January 29, in Abuja sentenced and convicted one Pastor Elape Robles Jnr, a Phillipines national, to four months imprisonment over the issuance of dud cheque. The prosecution of the Phillipino followed a petition to the EFCC by Enyinnaya Emelogu, alleging that he gave Robles Jnr N15 million in November 2009 to transact business but Robles Jnr issued him a cheque of N15 million which was dishonoured when presented for payment.

Media and Publicity

January 30, 2014