A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced one Blessing Adunun to two years imprisonment for stealing by conversion to the tune of N238, 000.00.
She was convicted on Friday, March 19, 2021 after pleading “guilty” to one count of theft following her arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
This was contained in a statement issued by EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, and made available to our correspondent on Saturday.
It said the charge bordered on stealing by conversion, contrary to Section 33 (2) (b) Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 33 (2) (c) of the same Act.
The charge read, “That you Blessing Adunun on or about the 4th day of September, 2018 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud used unauthorized access device and obtained the sum of Two Hundred and Thirty Eight Thousand Naira only (N238, 000.00) from one Eunice Adeleke and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 33 (2) (b) Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 33 (2) (c) of the same Act”.
Based on Adunun’s “guilty” plea, prosecuting counsel, F.O. Amama prayed the court to convict and sentence her accordingly.
However, defence counsel, Nobel. I. Ikemba sued for leniency “because the convict was a first-offender and also a young lady”.
In his judgment, Justice H.I.O. Oshomah found Adunun guilty as charged, convicted and sentenced her to two years imprisonment, with a fine option of One Hundred Thousand Naira only (N100, 000.00).
The statement said the judge also ordered that the said N100, 000.00 be paid into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account, even as the convict is to restitute the sum of N238, 000.00 only to one Eunice Adeleke, her victim, and sign an undertaking to be a law-abiding citizen before the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court.
The statement said that Adunun got into trouble when a petitioner, Eunice Adeleke, reported her to the EFCC for fraudulently obtaining her banking details and used them to withdraw the said sum in two instalments of N165, 000.00 and N73, 000.00, leading to her arrest.
(Punch)