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A Lagos house wife, Janet Umeh has been sentenced to 26 years imprisonment for defrauding a dead man, Jebutu Akinola to the tune of N350,000, being proceeds of a dividend warrant.
A Lagos house wife, Janet Umeh has been sentenced to 26 years imprisonment for defrauding a dead man, Jebutu Akinola to the tune of N350,000, being proceeds of a dividend warrant.
Justice Joseph Oyewole of Lagos High Court, Ikeja handed down the sentence to Umeh following her plea of guilt to the 26-count charge preferred against her and one Clement Mallong.
However, while Umeh was overwhelmed with guilt and decided to enter a plea of guilt, her co-accused person, Mallong continued to maintain his innocence, preferring to defend himself of the charge of fraudulently selling shares of the late Jebutu.
Umeh would, however, spend only one year in prison as the sentence shall run concurrently.
Mrs Umeh, who was weeping profusely shortly after she was docked pleaded for the court's leniency. She adduced her fraudulent action to the fact that she was abandoned by her husband, which made things difficult for her.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Joseph Oyewole sentenced her to twelve months on each of the 26-count charge, which will run concurrently. Specifically, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused her of selling various dividend warrants belonging to the late Akinola between August 9, 2004 and November of same year. She was said to have colluded with Mallong and others at large to commit the crime.
The charge read in part that 'You, Janet Umeh, Clement Mallong, Lukman, Kola and Baba Segun (still at large) on or about September 7, 2004 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N2,249.91 being the proceed of dividend warrant No. 118001 by false pretence from Afribank Nig. Plc, property of Jebutu Akinola (now deceased) by falsely represented yourself that you had the authority of the owner, Mr Jebutu Akinola to collect the warrant on his behalf which pretence you knew to be false."