Travel agent jailed 10 years for N1.8m fraud

The Chief Judge of the Sokoto State High Court sitting in Sokoto, M. Sifawa, has sentenced a scammer, Freedom Inah, to 10 years in prison for duping one Ahmed Jelani of N1.8m.

Inah’s conviction on Tuesday followed his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Sokoto zonal office, on one count of cheating.

The charge read, “That you, Freedom Inah, while acting as a travel agent for Gulf Centre International Travel and Tourism, United Arab Emirates, and Top Valley Speciality Hospital, UAE, and Nwabueze Joseph and Peter Ike (now at large), sometime in 2019 in Sokoto, within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice of Sokoto State, dishonestly induced one Ahmed Jelani to pay the total sum of N1,435,250 into three different accounts, including the sum of N395,000, into your Access Bank account by deceiving him with an offer of appointment from Top Valley Speciality Hospital, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code, 2019, and punishable under Section 311 of the same law.”

These were contained in a statement by the acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade.

Upon his arraignment, Inah pleaded guilty to the charge.

“In view of his plea, the counsel for the EFCC, S. Sa’ad, asked the court to convict and sentence him in line with the Penal Code of Sokoto State,” the statement said.

The defence counsel, Shamsu Dauda, however, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his client was a first-time offender, who had become remorseful.

He also told the court that the convict had paid full restitution to the victim.

Justice Sifawa, thereafter, convicted and sentenced the defendant to 10 years’ imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine.