Man gets 30 months jail term for fraud

An Ebute Meta, Lagos, chief magistrate’s court yesterday sentenced a 32-year-old man to 30 months imprisonment for defrauding his victims of N1.2 million.

The convict, Mr Uche Ogbara, of 65, Kesingo Street, Satellite Town, Lagos, pleaded guilty to the five-count charge the prosecutor laid against him. The case, which had been dragging in the court for about three years, was finally settled yesterday with Ogbara told to spend the next 30 months as a prisoner.

Ogbara, together with some others at large, was accused of pretending to be a supplier of refrigerators and textile materials, and on March 25, 2014 and October 26, 2014 collected the sums of N800,000 and N200,000 from Ezechukwu Chidiebere and Christopher Ezechukwu respectively at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos.

According to the police report, Ogbara was apprehended following police investigation led by Mr Owolabi Akilolu, while others involved escape. He was first arraigned in court on June 26, 2015. When the case first started, the convict was said to have been granted bail on a number of occasions but failed to show and the bail had to be revoked and he had to be remanded in police custody.

While in custody, Ogbara was said to have confessed to have joined a gang of fraudsters called ‘Ifeanyi Egbo’ seven years ago.

Before pronouncing her judgment, the magistrate, Mrs B.O. Ope-Agbe, asked Ogbara if he had anything to say before the court, and he solemnly replied, “My lord, I beg the court to temper justice with mercy.”

Mrs Ope-Agbe then sentenced him to six months in jail for each of the crimes he committed.