Man Sentenced To 10 years Imprisonment Over Fake Rivers Govt Contract

Otede Pio Meyeoghene

A man identified as Otede Pio Meyeoghene has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment without the option of a fine.

The sentence was handed by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State.

Meyeoghene, first arraigned in 2018 by the Benin Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was re-arraigned on July 12, 2021.

Meyeoghene had pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge preferred against him by EFCC, thereby setting the stage for a full trial.

One of the charges accused Meyeoghene of inducing Eyinoloma Demeyin to deposit the sum of N2,000,000 into his First Bank account in 2015 in Warri.

He claimed the money was for investment in a waste management contract with the Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt, with a N25,000 daily dividend as a return on investment.

The offence violated Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Acts 2006 and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same act.

During the trial, prosecution counsel I. M. Elodi called two witnesses to prove the case against the defendant, while the defence also called two witnesses.

Justice Abang stated that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore found the defendant guilty on all counts.

He subsequently sentenced the defendant to 10 years imprisonment, to run concurrently on each of the counts, without the option of fine.

The judge also ordered the defendant to return to the nominal complainant the outstanding sum of N2,095,000 with 21% interest per annum from 2015 until fully liquidated.