Maiduguri court jails man one year for N9.9m fraud

Glory Ebomah

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced David Osigbe Irumekhai to one-year imprisonment for criminal misappropriation to the tune of N9,900,000 (Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira only).

The defendant was first arraigned on December 8, 2022, on a count of criminal misappropriation to the tune of N9.9 million.

The charge read: “That you, David Osigbe Irumekhai sometime in November 2020 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly converted to your own use the total sum of Nine Million Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N9, 900,000.00) being money belonging to Nuhu Titus and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of Penal Code Law Cap 102, Laws of Borno State 1994 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said Irumekhai pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting a full trial of the case by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC.

EFCC’s counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed presented three witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence as exhibits.

In her judgment, Justice Kumaliya found Irumekhai guilty, convicted and sentenced him to a fine of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) or one-year imprisonment. She further ordered the convict to pay a balance of N9.4 million to his victim or serve an additional six years imprisonment.

Irumekhai’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he converted the sum of N9.9 million belonging to Nuhu Titus to his own use. All efforts to make him repay the money proved abortive.