Ikeja court sentences two men to 22 years for impersonating EFCC officials

Two men, Ugwu Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle, have been sentenced to 22 years imprisonment each by an Ikeja Special Offences Court for impersonating officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe delivered the sentence following the defendants’ plea bargain agreement to charges of impersonation, attempting to obtain property, possession of documents containing false pretences, and unlawfully wearing EFCC uniforms.

The court sentenced the men to seven years each on counts one to three, one year on count four, and eight months on count five, with the sentences to run concurrently. This totals 22 years and eight months of imprisonment for each defendant.

EFCC counsel, Abdulhamid Tukur, presented the case, urging the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. He revealed that the defendants had fake EFCC identity cards, jackets, and a court order purportedly from Mushin Magistrate Court, which they used to extort unsuspecting members of the public.

In their pleas for mercy, the convicts apologized and promised not to re-offend. Chijioke expressed regret for his actions, stating that his time in the correctional facility had been a learning experience. Adekunle similarly asked the court and the EFCC for forgiveness.

Impersonating EFCC officials, according to the EFCC, contravenes Sections 8(b) and 11(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 79(1)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.