The High Court of Akwa Ibom State, sitting in Uyo has sentenced one Wayo Samuel to 8 years imprisonment for fraud.
Samuel was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Justice Okon Okon of High Court 8, Uyo, on an 8-count charge of obtaining by false pretence, contrary to and punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
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Samuel was also charged for demanding and receiving benefit for himself concerning employment into the public service punishable under Section 112 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004 respectively.
His ordeal started with a petition sent to the Commission by one of his victims from whom he had collected the sum of N140,000 with a promise to use his position as an Air Commodore in the Nigerian Air Force to assist him to get recruited in the Service’s Batch ‘B’ Direct Short Course (DSS) for June 2017.
Upon receipt of the petition, the Commission swung into action leading to the arrest of the suspect.
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Investigations later revealed that the convict was neither an Air Commodore nor personnel of the Nigerian Air Force.
Further investigations also revealed that he had at different times used the same ploy to defraud several other people of various sums of money in Akwa Ibom State with the promise to help them get recruited into the Nigerian Air Force.
After listening to all the charges brought against him, Samuel pleaded guilty and was consequently sentenced to eight years of imprisonment (one-year imprisonment for each count) with an option to pay a cumulative sum of N450,000.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
