Justice Danlami Senchi of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, sitting in Jabi has sentenced one Enabulele Osazee Frank, who posed as a United States Major Barnett Edward to 30 days in prison with an option of N25,000 as fine.
Enabulele was among six suspected “yahoo yahoo boys” arrested in Abuja, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on May 11, 2018 through a sting operation following intelligence report on their activities.
He was arraigned on April 3, 2019 on an amended one-count charge bordering on attempt to cheat.
The count reads: “That you, Enabulele Osazee Frank (aka United States Major Barnett Edward) sometime in 2018 in Abuja within the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, did attempt to commit cheating and in such attempt posed to be United State Major Barnett Edward, an American soldier deployed to Afghanistan on peace keeping mission in a bid to fraudulently induce one Camela Johnson to deliver the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) on a representation that the money is payment for cost of non-inspection of certificate, a claim which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code Law Cap 532 laws of the Federation (1990) Abuja and punishable under the same section.”
He thereafter, pleaded “guilty” to the amended charge, based on a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution.
Prosecuting counsel, Deborah Ademu-Eteh, then prayed the court to sentence him accordingly.
Defence counsel, Providence Osimen, however pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the defendant was still a young man of 29 years old, and has shown remorse.
“He has never been convicted, and he is a graduate of public administration from University of Abuja, his parents look up to him for their wellbeing and he was just in the wrong place with the wrong company at the wrong time,” he said.
In sentencing Enabulele, Justice Senchi considered the plea bargain agreement, as well as the plea of his counsel, and gave him a fine of N25,000, failure of which he is to spend the 30 days in prison.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
April 3, 2019
