Court Convicts Couple Of $120m Fraud

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has found a couple, Augustine Ezeama and Juliet Ezeama, guilty of a seven-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretenses.

The couple were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 16, 2016, over allegations of $120 million fraud.

The anti-graft agency told the judge that the defendants on May 6, 2015, obtained the sum of $30,570 from a firm, CIFERCOM LLC under the pretext that the money was for the registration of CIFERCOM LLC as a company in Nigeria preparatory award of an $8 million contract by the Federal Government.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were arraigned in 2016.

To prove the case against the defendants, the EFCC called six witnesses and tendered several exhibits which were admitted by the court.

In his judgement, Justice Hakeem Oshodi found the couple guilty of the charges and convicted them accordingly.

The prosecuting counsel was absent in court but the counsel for the second defendant, George Adewunmi pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.