Relief came for a blind teacher, Mary Ihekanacho on Wednesday October 22, 2014 as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presented her with a draft of N550, 000 which the anti- graft agency recovered from a gang of fraudsters that swindled her of N 830,000 in a job scam.
The syndicate conned the woman by promising to facilitate her son’s employment with one of the oil majors.
Mr. David Iloyanomo who made the presentation on behalf of the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, said that “the EFCC stands for justice for all and called on the general public to ensure that they assist the Commission in carrying out its duties by coming forward to give evidence in court when it is required”. He also praised the passion with which officers of the Commission handled the matter which made it possible to get justice for Mrs. Ihekanacho.
An overwhelmed Mrs. Ihekanacho commended the EFCC for coming to her rescue. “I had lost hope. I prayed and asked God to take control and was surprised when Richard called me and told me that the young man has been arrested”. She called on Nigerians to support the EFCC in its effort to rid the nation of fraudulent activities. “If someone can scam a blind woman, what else won’t that person do?” she asked.
It would be recalled that Ihekanacho, sometime in July 2012, fell into the hands of some fraudsters led by Gift Onyegam who defrauded her of the sum of eight hundred and thirty thousand naira (N830, 000.00).
Following her petition, Onyegam was arrested and arraigned on a 4-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence before Justice M. L. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Enugu.
On February 24, 2014, Justice Shuiabu convicted and sentenced Onyegam to ten years imprisonment without option of fine. The court also ordered the convict to pay the victim, the sum of N711, 000 (seven hundred and eleven thousand naira) in restitution.
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