ABUJA
— A 34-year old herbalist, Matthew Sonoma a.k.a “Dr Perebokowe Ogah” has been
sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour, by a Federal High Court
in Abuja sequel to his alleged complicity in Advance Fee Fraud otherwise known
as 419.
The herbalist
was specifically accused of duping a former chairman of the Niger Delta
Development Commission, NDDC, Ambassador Sam Edem, to the tune of N715 milion.Trial Justice
Gabriel Kolawole convicted the Warri-based herbalist on the strength of a
15-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Inspector General
of Police.
The court said
it was satisfied that the accused person contravened section 7(2) (b) of the
Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Edem had, in his
petition to the Police, alleged that he paid the money into the account the
accused person opened with the Ugheli branch of Oceanic Bank. He claimed that
the money was a loan he gave the herbalist to execute a business deal.
The petitioner,
however, lamented that Sonama reneged to refund the money and instead allegedly
threatened his life while the money was kept away from the original bank
account.
It would be
recalled that the police had also arraigned the former NDDC chairman before an
Abuja High Court in Wuse on allegation that he unlawfully spent about N800
million belonging to the commission on the convicted sorcerer.
Though Edem
denied the allegation in court, police, however, insisted that during
investigations into the petition, it uncovered that the NNDC ex-boss spent the
said sum to secure the services of the accused person with a view to getting
protection and favourable contracts from Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom
State.
Police further
told the court that the spiritualist confessed that he was paid to help him
(Edem) make some sacrifices to be able to retain his position as the
commission’s chairman.
However, the
NDDC boss refuted the allegation, maintaining that the accused person
threatened him into releasing the money, adding that he never paid the
spiritualist directly.
Edem told the
court that he paid the money through his Personal Assistant, an SSS officer
attached to him, one Mr. Denis, now at large, upon his advice.
Meantime, in his
66 paged judgment on the case against “Dr Perebokowe Ogah”, Justice Kolawole
noted that going by the proof of evidence before the court, the ex-NDDC boss
paid the amount into the accused person’s account with Oceanic bank Plc, Warri
branch.
The Judge said
there was evidence that though the accused opened the said account with his
real name, however, following the petition to police, the native doctor,
hurriedly opened another account with the same bank under a false name Tunwere
Ejoor where he transferred the money in order to conceal the source and
location of the money.
Justice Kolawole
said from the overwhelming bank documents and evidence-in-chief of the bank
Manager, the prosecution, proved beyond doubt that the convict had fraudulent
intention in transferring the said money to another account under false name
during the pendency of police investigation.
The court agreed
with the prosecution counsel, Mr. Simon Lough, that the jailed herbalist got
the money from his victim with fraudulent intention since he failed to
disclosed the services he rendered to the diplomat that warranted the payment
of the huge sum.
It was the
judgment of the trial court that the convict failed to prove that the money was
payment for services he rendered to Edem, noting that he was unable to disclose
the nature of such services when he was called upon to do so.
Consequently,
the court dismissed argument of the native doctor that he adopted a new name
owing to disagreement he had with his father in the village.
The trial Judge
stressed that seven years jail term with hard labour should be a reasonable
penalty for the convict as prescribed under section 7 (2) (b) of the Advance
Fee Fraud Act 2006.
Nevertheless,
the court declined to make an order for forfeiture and restitution of the money
and other exhibits seized by police from the convict.
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