Justice P. I. Ajoko of the Federal High Court, Ibadan has sentenced one Ogundiran Tosin Iyanu to four months imprisonment.
Ogundiran was found guilty of a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and accordingly sentenced on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.
The convict, who earlier pleaded not guilty on December 16, 2018 when he was first arraigned, later changed his plea and pleaded guilty.
His latest plea led to an amendment of the charge and re-arraignment on March 5, 2019 on a lone-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act.
The charge reads: That you Ogundiran Tosin Iyanu and Ayomide Balogun (at large) on or about 5th of April, 2018 at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N282,500 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) only from Adeyemi Adejumo, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act, cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
After considering the merit of the charge and the supporting evidence as presented by the prosecution counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, the judge convicted and sentenced the defendant to four months imprisonment with effect from the date of his arraignment.
Through the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the convict has already restituted to the victim the total sun of N282,500 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand, Five Hundred Naira), being the benefit he derived from his fraudulent act.