The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, secured the conviction and sentencing of one David Osigbe Irumekhei to six months imprisonment before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri for his involvement in a contract scam.
The convict was arraigned on separate amended one-count charges, bordering on cheating to the tune of N22.9million (Twenty Two Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) and N5million (Five Million Naira) respectively.
David’s journey to prison began when the Commission received petitions from two complainants: Annur Adam and Mohammed Kolare, accusing him of obtaining the above sums from them under the pretext of executing contracts purportedly awarded to him by a Non- Governmental Organization called Terre Des Hommes.
The first amended charge reads: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhei, sometime between October and December 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced Annur Adam by deceiving him to deliver the total sum of Twenty Two Million Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N22,900,000.00), being money allegedly to finance a contract with Terres Des Hummes Medicin Du Monde and Danish Refugee Council, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Law Cap 102 Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”
The other charge reads: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhei, sometime between October and December, 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced Mohammed Kolare by deceiving him to deliver the total sum of Five Million (N5,000,000.00) being money allegedly to finance a contract with Terres Des Hummes Medicin Du Monde and Danish Refugee Council, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Law Cap 102 Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”
The defendant pleaded “guilty” to each amended charge preferred against him.
Justice Kumaliya convicted and sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on the amended charge of N5million with an option of N300, 000.00K (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.
On the other charge involving N22.9million, the convict was sentenced to a fine of N200, 000.00K (Two Hundred Thousand Naira). The court further ordered that the convict pay the sum of N5, 400, 000.00K (Five Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) in restitution to the victim, Annur Adam, and ‘‘in default of payment the convict shall serve five years jail term.’’
