Fake estate agent jailed 2 years for N1.5m Fraud

A Federal High Court in Kaduna on the ruling of Justice P. Mallong has convicted and sentenced Mohammed Shuaibu to two years imprisonment on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.

The count reads: “That you, Mohammed Shuaibu, sometime in 2014 in Zaria, Kaduna State within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,500,000 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Aisha Maman Bashir under the false pretence that you have a house located at Hauwa Low Cost, Sabon Gari, Zaria, a pretence you knew is false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a)of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act 2006, and punishable under Subsection 3 of the Same Act.”

Shuaibu was arraigned on January 23, 2018 and he pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.

Over the course of the trial, the EFCC called three witnesses to testify in the case and also tendered several exhibits against him.

The prosecution and the defence had on April 2, 2019 filed and adopted their final written addresses, prompting the trial judge to adjourn to May 23, 2019 for judgement.

Prosecuting counsel, Onyeka Ekweozor, urged the Court to convict and sentence him, accordingly.

However, the defence counsel, Y.M. Hassan, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.

Upon delivering judgement, Justice Mallong convicted and sentenced him to two years in prison without an option of fine and equally ordered him to restitute the complainant the said sum fraudulently obtained.