FBI Suspect Bags One Year Imprisonment, As Absence of Judge Stalls Trial of Former SGF

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Office, on Thursday, October 17, 2019, secured the conviction of one Joseph Oyediran, one of the suspects indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the United States of America.

Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court Convicted and Sentenced Oyediran to one year imprisonment after he relied on all the documents tendered and evidence presented by the EFCC.

The Commission had earlier arraigned the convict on five count charge and pleaded not guilty but later approached the EFCC for a plea bargain agreement.

The Convict was sentenced to one year imprisonment while his one plot of land located at Wara, behind Ilorin West Local Government Secretariat and the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira recovered from him was forfeited to the Federal Government.

In another conviction secured by EFCC, Justice I. O. Musa of the FCT High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced one Akeem Oluwafemi Akanni, to one month imprisonment for Impersonating EFCC Operatives.

Akeem met his waterloo when he falsely presented himself as an officer of the EFCC to Abdullahi Idris, a staff of NNPC Kaduna.

Sometime in 2019, at Abuja, the convict fraudulently attempted to obtain money from one Abdullahi Idris, a staff of NNPC Kaduna branch office to pay N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) under the guise that he was an EFCC officer and that he will assist him to “KILL A CASE FILED AGAINST HIM.”

Akeem Oluwafemi Akanni Convicted for Impersonating EFCC Operatives

The offense is contrary to Section 95 of Penal code, laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 322 of the same law. The defendant pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him. Counsel to the defendant, Joseph Nyong Esq however notified the court of a plea bargain entered with the prosecution. .

The Judge thereafter sentenced the defendant to One month imprison with an option of fine to the tune of N20, 000 (Twenty thousand Naira) only.

Meanwhile, the trial of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal before Justice Jude Okeke of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja, could not hold on Wednesday October 16, 2019, due to the absence of the trial Judge.

The EFCC, in March 2019, re-arraigned the former SGF on a 10-count amended charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and diversion of funds to the tune of over N500 million (Five Hundred Million Naira).

Lawal was re-arraigned alongside his younger brother, Hamidu David Lawal, Suleiman Abubakar, Apeh John Monday and two companies, Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd for the alleged offences.