JUSTICE Adebisi Akinlade of a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere has sentence a middle aged man, Abiodun Ibrahim Atobatele to 14 years imprisonment for obtaining the sum of N2.7million under false pretence.
Delivering the judgment yesterday, the judge held that the convict has opportunity of making restitution since he was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2010.
Justice Akinlade also held that the convict mismanaged the money according to his statement that “he used part of the money to pay his house rent and for his wife spiritual problem.”
She therefore sentenced Atobatele to seven years imprisonment on each of the two count, adding that the sentence will run concurrently starting from February 26, 2015.
The EFCC through its counsel, Mr Gbolahan Latona told the court that the convict obtained the sum of N2.7 million from one Chief Gabriel Onipede under the false pretence that the money represented the cost of a 2003 Model Lexus Jeep car.
The anti-graft agency had arraigned him on a two count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The offence according to the commission contravene Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006.
