The Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State, has sentenced a contractor, Julius Ejiogu, to two years in prison for forging a contract award document.
According to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Tuesday, the court handed down the judgement on Thursday, 15 January.
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Delivering the judgement, the judge, F. A. Olubanjo, found Mr Ejiogu guilty of forgery but acquitted him on the remaining counts of conspiracy and uttering.
The court convicted and sentenced Mr Ejiogu to two years’ imprisonment, with an option to pay a N1 million fine.
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EFCC first filed the case against Mr Ejiogu on 23 March 2021.
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, leading the court to schedule a full trial to determine his guilt or innocence.
In one of the counts, the anti-graft agency alleged that Mr Ejiogu and one E. Expert, said to still be at large, conspired on 2 August 2013, in Delta State, to commit a felony by creating a document titled Award of Contract for the Construction of Obudu-Oleri Road in Udu L.G.A., Delta State on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) letterhead, knowing it was false.
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It alleged that the defendants’ act violated Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2007, and was punishable under Section 3(1)(C) of the same Act.
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The EFCC said the case arose when Mr Ejiogu allegedly obtained a contract award letter for the Obudu-Oleri Road from a purpported ‘Engineer Eshitt’ of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He allegedly sold the contract document to a petitioner for N2 million, only for it to be discovered that the award was fake.
During the trial, prosecution lawyer K.Y. Bello called four witnesses and tendered multiple documents and the court admitted all.
Mr Ejiogu testified as the sole witness in his defence.
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