The judgement which was delivered by Justice Josiah J.Majebi yesterday found the accused guilty on one of the three charges levelled against the accused.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had earlier dragged Idachaba and one Ruth D. Onoja, a staff of Nigeria Prison Service, on three count charges.
The accused persons have been charged for violating the Provision of Advance Fees fraud and other related offences Act No 14 of 2006, conspiracy, and fraudulent transfer of the sum of the amount from the Accounts of NPS by payment of salaries through proxy, one Opia Mohammed, as member of staff.
In his Judgement, Justice Majebi said he was satisfied by the evidence before him that the accused persons knowingly misrepresented Mohammed Ugbede Opia as member of Staff of Nigeria Prison Services with intention of stealing the sum. He said that the accused admitted committing the offence in evidence.
“It is my view and I hold that by the pieces of evidence before of aforementioned in this judgment the prosecution has established that the 1st accused person knowingly misrepresented Mohammed Ugbede Opia as member of staff of NPS with intention to defraud her the sum of N1,403,144.09 and thereby induced the delivery the said sum by Nigeria Prison Service”, “Aside from the foregoing in Exhibit ‘P2’ and ‘P3’, the 1st accused herein admit the essential element of the offence in count three against him,” he stressed.
The Judge stated that the 1st accused has failed to rebut the presumption of quilt him or cast doubt on the case of the prosecution of probability.
He therefore sentenced Idachaba to seven years imprisonment under section 1(3) of the Advance fee fraud and other related Offences Act No 14 of 2006 and asked to refund the same amount.
