Businessman jailed for theft

An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a businessman, Samuel Nzewo, to six years’ imprisonment for obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. O. I. Adelaja, gave the judgment on Friday after finding the convict guilty on two counts of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

In the charge, marked B/114c/2005, the police said Nzewo collected N1.5m from one Eugene Mba, under the pretences that he had a plot of land to sell to him in 2002.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, Inspector Chinalu Uwadione, are punishable under sections 419 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 17, Vol 11, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.

The convict, a native of Udemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was admitted to bail by the court.

While being cross-examined during the trial of the case, the convict had admitted that he collected the said sum from the victim in two tranches.

He said the victim first gave him N1,490,000, which he said he was to assist him in importing empty Compact Disks from Singapore.

He stated further that when he could not supply the CDs as promised, he told him to add N50,000 to the money with the promise of giving him a plot of land around the Ojo area of Lagos.

He said the N50,000 was for the perimeter fence of the supposed land.

Sentencing the convict on Friday, Adelaja held that the prosecution had proved the charges of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.

After pronouncing the convict guilty of the charges, his lawyer, Chief U. O. Antia, in his allocutus urged the court to be lenient in sentencing the convict, adding that he was a first time offender with no criminal record.

Consequently, the chief magistrate sentenced the convict to three years on each count with hard labour.

She said the terms should run concurrently.

After the judgment, lawyer to the complaint, Martins Oyigbo, commended the chief magistrate for taking her time to decide the matter.

He said, “We believe that this judgment will serve as a lesson to others who engage in the act of defrauding others.”