Lagos Court Sentences Man To 74 Years For N360M Fraud

Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court in Ajah has sentenced Chukwudi Okonkwo Goodness to 74 years in prison after he was found guilty on multiple counts of theft and issuing dud cheques totaling N360 million.

Goodness was first arraigned on June 6, 2016, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 33-count charge related to stealing and financial misconduct involving the use of worthless cheques.

The charges arose from allegations that, between June and July 2015, he fraudulently diverted N360 million belonging to Henry Nnadike for personal use.

One of the charges stated: “That you, Chukwudi Okonkwo Goodness, sometime between the months of June and July, 2015 at Ikeja, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, fraudulently converted and stole the sum of N360,000,000.00 property of one Henry Nnadike, thereby committing an offence of stealing by conversion contrary to Sections 278 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”

Goodness had pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial.

During the proceedings, EFCC counsel T.J. Banjo called four witnesses and presented several exhibits to support the prosecution’s case.

In her judgment on Tuesday, Justice Oyefeso found Goodness guilty on 32 out of the 33 charges.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison for the first count of stealing and another seven years for count 33. For counts three through thirty-two, which involved the issuance of dud cheques, he received two years each—all without the option of a fine.

However, he was discharged on count two, which accused him of possessing documents containing false pretences.

Justice Oyefeso ruled that all sentences are to run concurrently.

The court also ordered Goodness to restitute the sum of N215 million to the victim, Henry Nnadike, within 30 days of the judgment.