WARRI, Nigeria – Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has sentenced Otede Pio Meyeoghene to a decade behind bars, without the option of a fine, for fraudulent activities.
Meyeoghene, initially arraigned in 2018 by the Benin Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was re-arraigned on July 12, 2021.
Despite the three-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC, Meyeoghene pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial.
One of the charges against Meyeoghene accused him of manipulating Eyinoloma Demeyin into depositing the sum of N2,000,000 into his First Bank account in 2015, under the guise of an investment opportunity in a waste management contract with the Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt.
The promised return on this investment was a N25,000 daily dividend.
This violation contravenes Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Acts 2006 and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same act.
During the trial, the prosecution presented two witnesses to substantiate the case against Meyeoghene, while the defence also summoned two witnesses.
Justice Abang ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt and found the defendant guilty on all counts.
As a result, Meyeoghene was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently, without an option of fine.
In addition, Justice Abang ordered the convict to repay the outstanding sum of N2,095,000 to the nominal complainant, along with a 21% annual interest from 2015 until the sum is fully paid off.
