Abuja court jails two for N7m land fraud

An Abuja High Court sitting in Apo has sentenced a former
employee of the Abuja Geographic Information System, Mark Egwuma,
and a businessman, Emmanuel Madubueze, to prison over a N7m
fraud.

The sentence was handed down despite the return of the money to
the convicts’ victim.

The two men were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices
and Other Related Offences Commission for using a fake land
document to defraud one Tobechukwu Obiechina on the pretex that
they were selling to him a plot of land in the Guzape District of
Abuja.

In a statement by the spokesperson for the commission, Mrs
Rasheedat Okoduwa, on Monday, the ICPC said the convicts were found
guilty on the six counts preferred against them by its counsel.

One of the counts read, “That you, Emmanuel Madubueze, Sabo
Zabwami Auta, Mark Egwuma and one Mohammed Sanni Abdu (now at
large), on or about the month of May 2015, in Abuja, forged a title
document of Plot 1693 Guzape, Cadastral Zone AO9, Abuja, FCT, with
the name of Mohammed Sanni Abdu, with the intent to fraudulently
use same to defraud one Tobechukwu Obiechina of the sum of N7m.

“The document you claimed to be a genuine title document was
forged and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and
punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act.”

Charles Ohemu and O. Okokpujie, who represented the convicts,
pleaded with the court to be lenient with their clients, claiming
that they were first time offenders and good family men with young
children to cater for.

The counsels said their clients had shown remorse by paying back
the N7m.

In her judgment, Justice A. Otaluka acquitted Auta, explaining
that his role of helping to secure a buyer for the land was
performed without the knowledge that the title document was
forged.

Justice Otaluka noted that Madubeze and Egwuma wilfully
committed the crime and should be made to face the law.

While sentencing Madubueze to four years imprisonment with an
option of N250,000 fine on counts one to four, the judge said the
convict would serve two years in prison on counts five and six
without an option of fine.

The judge also sentenced Egwuma to four years imprisonment with
an option of N200,000 fine on counts one to four, and six months
each on counts five and six, stating that the sentences would run
concurrently.