Osun: Man Bags Five-Year Jail Term for Duping Job Seekers

The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has sentenced a young man, identified as Happiness Meschach Eboh, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for duping job seekers.‎

He was said to have conspired with two others, Innocent Uwadiale and Urieto Omomene Franca to dupe the job seekers of various sum of money.

The convict was arraigned by the men of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, on a four-count charge of conspiracy, impersonation, stealing and advanced-fee fraud.

According to the charge sheet, Happiness was said to have committed the crime in Osogbo between January 30 and May 7, 2013.

He was accused to have “obtained a sum of N5,000 from one Issa Musa under the false pretense of assisting him in securing employment with the NSCDC, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 (a), (b) and (c) of the Advanced-Fee Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria”.

Happiness was also said to have impersonated an officer of the NSCDC, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 484 of the Criminal Code Cap 138 Vol. 4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

He was further accused of stealing, an offence contrary to Section 383 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap 138 Vol. 4 and punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 138 Vol 4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Babs Kuewumi found the accused person guilty on the first count of conspiracy.

He, therefore, sentenced him to five years in prison with hard labour.