Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Justice R.O Dugbo Oghoghorie, of the Federal High Court, Enugu on Wednesday February 4, 2021 convicted and sentenced the duo of Dominic Ozulu and Michael Ogbobe to thirty five (35) years imprisonment each over One Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira(N1.520,000.00) land fraud.
The convicts were arraigned on 18th May, 2017 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu zonal office on a five – count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery and uttering. In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, Michael Ani Ikechukwu, called four witnesses and tendered twelve exhibits.
Justice Oghoghorie, after reviewing the evidence before the court, found the defendants guilty as charged and sentenced them to seven years imprisonment each in all of the five counts preferred against them by the Commission. The court further ordered the convicts to restitute the victim, the sum of One Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira (N1, 520,000.00).
The duo’s journey to prison started some years back when they fraudulently sold a plot of land at Nsukka, Enugu State belonging to one Professor Charles Okigbo to one Omeye Anthony. Ozulu who claimed that Okigbo gave him the land as a gift after serving him for seventeen (17) years, forged a Deed of Assignment purportedly signed by Professor Okigbo as proof of transfer of the title of ownership.
The victim petitioned EFCC when he discovered that that Professor Okigbo never transferred any Deed of Assignment to the convicts.
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