Native doctor bags 97-year jail term over N5.6m fraud

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo on Wednesday slammed a 97 years’ jail term on a 43-year-old native doctor, Clement Joseph over N5.6million fraud.

The presiding Judge, Justice Angela Otaluka, who delivered the judgement in a suit instituted against Joseph also known as “Dr. Omale” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, held that the prosecution proved its case against the accused.

The EFCC had filed a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretense and fraudulently defrauding one Bola Akintola of the said sum under the pretext of having mystical powers to deliver her of untimely death.

The offense is contrary to Section 8 (a) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

Meanwhile, Justice Otaluka held that the prosecution had proved its case against the defendant and subsequently, found him guilty as charged on all seven counts.

She, therefore, sentenced him to seven years on count one without any option of fine and sentenced him to 15 years each on counts two to seven without any option of fine.

The judge, however, ordered that the sentence is to run concurrently, excluding the two years he had spent in prison custody before being convicted.

Justice Otaluka also ordered the convict to make a restitution of the sum of N5.6 million to Bola Akinbola, the nominal complainant in the case.

In his allocutus before the sentence, counsel for the defendant, Johnbull Adara, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the court should take into account the fact that the convict has been in custody since August 5, 2016.

While pleading that the court should give minimum sentence to the convict, Adara urged the court to consider the fact that Clement is a first-time offender.