Relief came for a blind teacher, Mary Ihekanacho on
Wednesday October 22, 2014 as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, presented her with a draft of N550, 000 which the anti- graft agency
recovered from a gang of fraudsters that swindled her of N 830,000 in a job
scam.
The syndicate conned the woman by promising to facilitate
her son’s employment with one of the oil majors.
Mr. David Iloyanomo who made the presentation on behalf of
the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, said that “the EFCC stands
for justice for all and called on the general public to ensure that they assist
the Commission in carrying out its duties by coming forward to give evidence in
court when it is required”. He also praised the passion with which officers of
the Commission handled the matter which made it possible to get justice for
Mrs. Ihekanacho.
An overwhelmed Mrs. Ihekanacho commended the EFCC for coming
to her rescue. “I had lost hope. I prayed and asked God to take control and was
surprised when Richard called me and told me that the young man has been
arrested”. She called on Nigerians to support the EFCC in its effort to rid the
nation of fraudulent activities. “If someone can scam a blind woman, what else
won’t that person do?” she asked.
It would be recalled that Ihekanacho, sometime in July 2012,
fell into the hands of some fraudsters led by Gift Onyegam who defrauded her of
the sum of eight hundred and thirty thousand naira (N830, 000.00).
Following her petition, Onyegam was arrested and arraigned
on a 4-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence before Justice M. L.
Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Enugu.
On February 24, 2014, Justice Shuiabu convicted and
sentenced Onyegam to ten years imprisonment without option of fine. The court
also ordered the convict to pay the victim, the sum of N711, 000 (seven hundred
and eleven thousand naira) in restitution.
Media & Publicity
23rd October, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment