Justice Mojisola Dada of Ikeja Special Offences Court has convicted one Blessing Adanu for defrauding a woman of N47.6 million under the pretense of supplying her agricultural produce.
She was convicted on Monday on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences and stealing.
Justice Mojisola held that evidence before the court and statements made by the convict during interrogations have proved all the essential ingredients of obtaining by false pretences and stealing.
Background
The convict (Adanu), defrauded the victim by trading under the name, “Emerald Multipurpose Cooperative Society” which was an agribusiness scheme.
According to EFCC, she defrauded Mrs. Favour Nnamani of a cumulative sum of N47.6 million between November 30, 2018, and Jan. 11, 2019, in Lagos state.
An offence that contravenes Sections 1(1) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011
The EFCC counsel called three witnesses through whom several pieces of documentary evidence were tendered and admitted against the convict.
While the Defence counsel called four witnesses, including the defendant, who testified as the fourth witness.
The case was closed on June 30, 2022 and the defendant had since then stop appearing in court
The absence of the convict in court made the prosecution counsel to ask the court to revoke the bail granted to the convict and allow the trial proceed in her absence.
Justice Mojisola subsequently revoked the bail and issued a bench warrant for the convict’s arrest.
The judge also ordered the EFCC to declare her wanted.
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Court’s Decision
Justice Mojisola Dada convicted Adanu after dismissing the argument by defence counsel that the charges emanated from contractual disputes that were civil in nature.
The judge said “As noted by the prosecution, most economic and financial crimes arose from transactions that had a semblance of contractual transactions.
“But along the line, a lot of factors come in to derail the smooth sail when the heart of man begins to dialogue with the devil to outsmart another person and he succumbs to it.
“The defendant’s oral testimony in court that the agribusiness was affected by flooding and Fulani herdsmen attack was an afterthought.
“She wanted to be living big at the expense of other people without counting the cost.
“Although the defendant seems to have absconded, having jumped bail graciously granted her by this court, the truth is that she cannot run away from justice.
“From the foregoing, therefore, the evidence before the court clearly shows that the case against the defendant has been proved beyond every reasonable doubt on the two counts of obtaining the sum of N47.6 million under false pretences.
“I hereby declare the defendant guilty as charged on the two counts,” The Judge ruled.
However, the judge suspended the Conviction in accordance with Sections 321 and 352 (5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) Act, 2015, in conjunction with Section 278 (1) of the ACJ Law 2015, until she is apprehended and brought to court.