An Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice Kenneth Okpe has sentenced an accountant with the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Emmanuel Sombo, to 304 years imprisonment for forgery and stealing of N34. 9 million from the account of the college.
Sombo, who was convicted last Thursday after a long trial which started in 2010, had pleaded not guilty to the 61 count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in suit No E/56C/2010.
He was alleged to have on several occasions forged the signatures of principal officers of the institution on promissory notes with which he cashed monies running into N34 million from the college’ First Bank account for his personal use.
The principal officers including the Provost, the Registrar and the Bursar denied signing the cheques with which the accused withdrew the monies.
The EFCC forensic experts who took samples of the principal officers’ signatures confirmed that the ones on the cheques used in the transactions were forged.
Delivering judgement on the matter, Justice Kenneth Okpe said they based on the weight of evidence before the court, the court had no difficulty in concluding that the accused person personally forged the signatures on the disputed cheques or was assisted to forge the documents.
“The court is satisfied that the circumstantial evidence placed before it is cogent, compelling and points irresistibly to the fact that the accused person committed the offence of forging the disputed cheques. He acted alone and is still alone as he could not call even one witness from the college to support his defence.
“These elements of the offence are present in the instant case and I, therefore, hold that the prosecution has proved all the ingredients of the offence of forgery beyond reasonable doubt and accordingly I find the accused guilty of forgery as charged in counts 32 to 61.
“All the elements of stealing are present in this case. The accused person in his statement to the EFCC said he knew that the disputed cheques were fraudulently issued but he was asked by his Boss to play along.
“He cashed the cheques and disbursed the proceeds in a manner that permanently deprived the Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu of the ownership of the money. I therefore also find the accused person guilty of the offence of stealing as charged in counts 1 to 31”.
“I will therefore sentence the accused person, Emmanuel Sombo to 7 years imprisonment for each of the offences of stealing in counts 1 to 31 in the Amended information, 217 years.
“I also sentence him to 3 years imprisonment for each of the offences of forgery in counts 32 to 61 of the Amended Information, 87 years. However, the entire sentences are to run concurrently with effect from today. This is my judgement in this case.”
Nigeria’s Police Boss Says He’s ‘Seeking Legal Advice’ On Court’s Imprisonment Order
Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, has directed the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Force Legal Unit to proffer informed legal advice to him on the order of a the Federal High Court, Abuja which sentenced him to three months in prison for “disobeying a court order”.
The police boss made this known in a statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi hours after Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon issued the order that the IGP be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three months.
The order of the court followed a suit filed by a former police officer, Patrick Okoli who claimed he was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigeria Police Force in June 1992.
A Federal High Court in Abuja was said to have ordered the reinstatement of Okoli in a judgement on October 21, 2011, but the office of the IGP was said not to have complied.
However, in a statement on behalf of the IGP on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Adejobi said the police boss did not disregard court order or the rule of law as “the office is not aware of any Court Order, during the current IGP’s tenure, with respect to a matter making the round in the media that the IGP disobeyed a Court Order for the reinstatement of a dismissed officer of the Force”.
“It is instructive to note that the case in point concerns an officer who was dismissed as far back as 1992, a few years after the current IGP joined the Nigeria Police Force, based on available facts gleaned from the reports.
“The most recent judgement on the matter was given in 2011 which should ordinarily not fall under the direct purview of the current administration of the Force. Thus, the news is strange and astonishing.
“The IGP has however directed the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Force Legal Unit to investigate the allegation in a bid to ascertain the position of the court and proffer informed legal advice for the IGP’s prompt and necessary action,” the statement read.
Adejobi also said the IGP will continue to uphold the rule of law and synergise with the judiciary to ensure quick dispensation of justice for an improved criminal justice system.
Earlier in November, Justice Chizoba Oji of a High Court Abuja convicted the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa for contempt and ordered that he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
The judge held that Bawa was in contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018, directing the commission to return to an applicant, his Range Rover and the sum of N40 million.
However, Justice Oji in a subsequent ruling set aside the conviction of Bawa after hearing an application brought by the EFCC chairman.
Source: Vanguard
