THE State High Court sitting Tuesday, March 31,in Sokoto has convicted and sentenced one Freedom Sampson Inah to 10 years imprisonment with an option of fine of two Hundred thousand naira (N200,000.00) over a one-count charge bordering on swindling one Ahmed Jelani to the tune of N1,830,250 (One Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Naira).
According to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who secured the conviction, Freedom and his other conspirators, Nwabueze Uzochukwu Joseph and Peter Ike had sometimes in 2019 disguised as travel agents at of Gulf Centre International Travel and Tourism and Top Valley Speciality Hospital United Arab Emirate (UAE) to dupe dupe the job seeker.
Ahmed Jelani was reported to have made the transfer of One Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Naira on three different occasions into four different accounts.
“That you, Freedom Sampson Inah, while acting as travel agent of Gulf Centre International Travel and Tourism, United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Top Valley Speciality Hospital UAE and Nwabueze Uzochukwu Joseph, Peter Ike (now at large), sometime in 2019 at Sokoto within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice of Sokoto State, dishonestly induced one Ahmed Jelani to pay the total sum of N1,435,250.00 (One Million Four Hundred and Thirty-five Thousand, Two Hundred Naira) into three different accounts including the sum of N395,000 (Three Hundred and Ninety-five Thousand Naira) into your Access Bank account number by deceiving him with an offer of appointment with Top Valley Speciality Hospital, United Arab Emirate and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law 2019 and punishable under Section 311 of the same Law.”
Despite Sampson’s guilty plea, counsel for the EFCC, S.H. Sa’ad asked the court to convict and sentence him in line with the Penal Code Law of Sokoto State.
The defence counsel, Shamsu Dauda, however, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his client was a first-time offender who had become remorseful. He also told the court that the convict had fully restituted the victim.
Justice M.S. Sifawa of the Sokoto State High court thereafter convicted and sentenced the defendant to 10 years imprisonment with an option of fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000.00)
Samad Uthman is a multimedia journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. He tweets @sarmerdk2 and can be shot through [email protected]