Court sentences Femi Adesina’s impostor to 8 years imprisonment

A Federal High Court in Kano has sentenced a fraudster, Christian Oyovweyho, for impersonating the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina and attempted to fleece a Bayero University lecturer of N300,000 for a non-existent appointment in the Presidency.

Justice Z B Abubakar had sentenced the impostor, Oyovweyho, to eight years imprisonment for impersonating Adesina and engaging in fraudulent activities.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), had arraigned the convict on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and attempt to defraud. According to the EFCC, the offence is contrary to sections 8(a) and (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Oyovweyho journey to prison began when the Commission received a petition that he had impersonated Adesina.

The petitioner, Prof Dalhatu Mohammed Galadanci of the Bayero University Kano further stated that the convict had attempted to fraudulently obtain N300,000 from him.

According to Galadanci, sometime in July 2016, the convict sent him a text message claiming to be Femi Adesina, SA to President Buhari on Media and Publicity.

The defendant fraudulently claimed to be speaking on behalf of the president and that the name of the professor has been forwarded for appointment in the presidency.

The complainant further stated that the defendant claimed to be searching for a better office for him. Subsequently, the defendant asked the professor to make payment of the sum of N300,000 in order to facilitate his appointment to one of the MDAs, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Railway Cooperation and Rural Electrification Agency.

At that point, the professor got suspicious and reported the matter to the commission.
Upon arraignment on March 16, 2017, the convict pleaded not guilty and the prosecuting lawyer, Musa Isah proceeded to trial during which two prosecution witnesses gave evidence while the convict stood as the only defense witness.

In her judgment, Justice Abubakar found the convict guilty of the offence as charged. The judge also held that she was convinced that the prosecution had proved the case against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.

She subsequently sentenced the convict to four years imprisonment without option of fine on each of the two count charge while sentence is to run concurrently.

Andrew Orolua, Abuja.