A Nigerian man identified as Christian Efe Oyovweyho has been
convicted and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment by Justice Z.B.
Abubakar of the Federal High Court Kano for impersonating the Special
Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
He attempted to fleece a Bayero University don of N300, 000 for a nonexistent appointment in the Presidency has been convicted.
The convict was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on a 2-count charge that borders on conspiracy and
attempt to obtain, in contravention of sections 8(a) and (b) of the
Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The convict’s journey to prison started when the Commission received a petition that he had impersonated Adesina.
The petitioner, Professor Dalhatu Mohammed Galadanci of the Bayero
University Kano further stated that the convict had attempted to obtain
the sum of N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only) from him.
According to Galadanci, sometime in July 2016, the convict sent him a
text message claiming to be Femi Adesina, SA to the president on Media
and Publicity.
The defendant fraudulently claimed to be speaking on behalf of the
president and that the name of the professor has been forwarded for
appointment in the presidency.
The complainant further stated that the defendant claimed to be
searching for a better office for him. Subsequently, the defendant asked
the professor to make payment of the sum of Three Hundred Thousand
Naira Only) in order to facilitate his appointment to one of Nigeria
Port Authority, Nigerian Railway Cooperation and Rural Electrification
Agency.
At that point, the professor got suspicious and reported the matter to the commission.
Upon arraignment on the 16th of March, 2017, the convict pleaded not
guilty and the prosecution counsel, Musa Isah proceeded to trial during
which two prosecution witnesses gave evidence while the convict stood as
the only defense witness.
In her judgment, Justice Abubakar found the convict guilty of the
offence he was charged with after she was convinced that the prosecution
had proved the case against him beyond reasonable doubt.
She subsequently sentenced him to 4 years imprisonment without option
of fine on each of the two count charge. The sentence is to run
concurrently.