The Economic and Financial crime Commission, EFCC on Thursday, secured the conviction of Emeka Anaga for a fraud of N39.6 million.
He was sentenced by Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court sitting at Abakiliki, Ebonyi State for 28 years on a 38-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, forgery and uttering to the tune of N39, 605,000.
The defendant tricked one Innocent Nwachukwu (Inno Maiduguri), a businessman based in Nkwo Nnewi, Nnewi North LGA of Anambra State to pay the said sum in tranches of N1,000,000 on the pretext that he would help him to secure contracts to supply fuel to power the generators of the masts of all major telephone networks in Delta, Kano and,Ebonyi States.
He had introduced himself as a contractor with MTN and Etisalat networks, charged with the responsibility of mounting masts in various locations in Isu, Ebonyi State. After waiting in vain for the contracts, Nwachukwu demanded a refund but the defendant failed to oblige him.
One of the charges against Anaga reads, “that you, Emeka Anaga between May and July, 2017 at Abakaliki ,Ebonyi State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N3,825,000.00 from one Innocent Nwachukwu ,Managing Director of I.B Nwachukwu Enterprises, through a UBA Account number 2080393780 belonging to Buchitech Consults and Fiscal Limited, when you represented yourself to be an employee of Etisalat Nigeria Limited, now known as 9mobile and that you will facilitate and secure for him a contract to supply diesel to all Etisalat, a representation which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(C) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offence Act and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. The prosecution led by Rotimi E.Ajobiewe presented 11 witnesses and tendered over 80 exhibits to prove its case.
Delivering judgment, Justice Aluko convicted Anaga on 34 counts of the charge and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy and 12 years for counts relating to obtaining money by false pretence, to run concurrently.
He also ordered that the convict restitute the sum of N37, 850.00(Thirty Seven Million. Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand) to Nwachukwu.
In a related development, the convict was also on Wednesday August 24, 2022 sentenced to eight years in prison for another fraud charge involving the theft of N973,000{Nine Hundred and seventy-Three Thousand Naira) and ordered to return the sum of N555,000 to his victim, one Michael Okolo.
