AN Ikeja High Court yesterday sentenced a money changer, Ajagbe Omotayo, to seven years imprisonment for cheque cloning and forgery.
Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye found Omotayo guilty of stealing, conspiracy and altering.
The judge sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each of the counts, making a total of 21 years, but the convict will spend only seven years in jail as the sentences will run concurrently.
“The defendant is hereby sentenced to seven years on each of the three counts which would run concurrently from 2013 when the convict was detained in Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody,” the judge held.
In his mitigation plea, Omotayo’s counsel, Tunde Israel urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying his client was remorseful.
“He is also the sole bread winner of a polygamous family,” Israel added.
Omotayo, according to an amended charge of January 27, 2014, went to an Allen, Ikeja Branch of Skye Bank and presented a cloned cheque purportedly issued by the Finance Director of Grange Schools, Lagos.
He allegedly cloned the school’s letterhead directing the bank to pay the said money to him.
But, the bank, contacted the school which denied knowing the convict. The school added that the cheque in his possession was forged.
The police arrested Omotayo and transferred the matter to (EFCC) where he confessed that one Segun Fabiyi, who is serving a two-year jail term for the same offence, gave him the cheque.
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