Court Jails fraudster for one year with 100-hour community service for forgery

On Monday, the Ikeja Special Offences Court ordered a man, Opeyemi Nojim, to undergo 100 hours of community service for possession of fraudulent documents.

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe also sentenced Nojim to a one-year jail term with an option of N1 million fine.

The judge had convicted and sentenced Nojim after he pleaded guilty to an amended one-count charge of possession of fraudulent documents brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

While delivering the judgment, the judge convicted Mr Nojim based on the evidence before the court and the plea of guilty.

The judge held that the convict should serve the sentence at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre.

“Upon the defendant’s plea of guilt to the charge and the admission of the facts, the defendant is hereby convicted. He is sentenced to one-year imprisonment for possession of documents containing pretences contrary to section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. He will also undergo 100 hours of community service,” the judge stated.

In his review of facts earlier, EFCC counsel Fanen Anum told the court that Nojim was arrested on June  27 at Reginal Annex Hotel Iyana Isasi in Ojo, Lagos.

When he was arrested, Mr Anum told the court that an iPhone 6 had been recovered from Nojim. The prosecution submitted that the device was analysed, and documents containing false pretences were printed out.

“The defendant was given an opportunity to respond to the documents printed out from his device. He voluntarily wrote in his statement that he had benefited $5,100 from his victims,” Mr Anum said.

The prosecutor thereafter urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant based on his plea of guilt. He added that the iPhone 6 device should be returned to the federal government.

However, the defence counsel, Bridget Omotosho, told the court that the convict pleaded guilty without wasting the court’s time.

She, therefore, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the convict was a first-time offender and a young man.

“We pray for a non-custodial sentence, my lord,” Ms Omotosho said.