Makurdi – The Chief Judge of Benue, Justice Iorhemen Hwande, on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 32-year old man, Emmanuel Terlumun, to 10 years imprisonment for defrauding one Simon Mbanyion of N300,000.
The convict had been standing trial in a Makurdi High Court since 2013 on a charge of Advance Fee Fraud punishable under section 1(1) and (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The prosecuting counsel from the State Ministry of Justice, M.D. Amine, told the court that the complainant had given a lift to the convict on March 9, 2013.
She said that while the duo were talking during the ride, the convict introduced himself as an army officer whose father was also a general.
He asked the complainant to give him two names of his relations whom he promised to recruit into the Nigerian Army.
Amine further told the court that the unsuspecting victim submitted his name along side one of his relations and gave the convict the sum of N300,000 which he demanded to facilitate the recruitment.
He said the victim later discovered that the convict was a rogue who successfully deceived him and consequently reported the matter to the police which arrested him.
During the trial, the convict testified in defence of himself and called no witness while the prosecution called three witnesses, including the victim.
The prosecuting counsel argued that the convict displayed a high level of inhumanity toward the victim who showed him kindness by giving him a ride.
Delivering judgment, Hwande stated that the convict had shown he was a wicked ingrate who chose to reward kindness with wickedness to the victim who gave him a ride.
He observed that the convict did not show remorse during the course of his trial.
Although the convict pleaded for mercy, saying that he was HIV positive and had appendicitis, the judge convicted him.
Hwande insisted that prosecution had proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt to warrant reduction in punishment.
He consequently sentenced the convict to the 10-year jail term without an option of fine beginning from when he was remanded in 2013.
The judge also ordered the convict to refund to the complainant the sum of N300,000 that he dishonestly collected from him.
Credit : NAN
