By Punch Reporter
IKEJA, Lagos – Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, sentenced one Chukwuemeka Udezuka to 12 years’ imprisonment for stealing a total sum of ₦64,060,000.
The conviction followed a four-count charge of stealing brought against Udezuka by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Udezuka, alongside his company, Mezu Connection Investment Limited, was found guilty of defrauding four unsuspecting victims under the guise of helping them convert naira to United States dollars at the official Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) exchange rate.
According to the EFCC prosecution, the convict vanished and became completely unreachable after receiving the funds, leaving the victims stranded and unable to recover their money.
The convict’s legal woes began when he was arraigned on January 31, 2024, for offenses contrary to Sections 278 and 285(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
One of the counts preferred against him read:
“That you, Chukwuemeka Udezuka and Mezu Connection Investment Limited, sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of ₦28,000,000 (Twenty-Eight Million Naira), being the property of Chizoba Benson Chiegwu.”
Another charge indicated that the convict similarly diverted ₦17,360,000 belonging to another victim, Hojoli Augustine Okechukwu.
During the trial, the prosecuting counsel, I.O. Daramola, presented a watertight case by calling seven witnesses and tendering critical pieces of evidence. The admitted exhibits included Udezuka’s extra-judicial statements, official bank correspondence, and comprehensive account records.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the anti-graft agency had successfully proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge slammed Udezuka’s actions, describing the fraud as “premeditated” and one that deserved a stiff penalty.
Consequently, Justice Oshodi sentenced the convict to three years’ imprisonment on each of the four counts, totaling 12 years. The sentences are to run consecutively.
Before the final sentencing, the convict pleaded for leniency, expressing deep remorse and begging the court for a second chance. His defense counsel, Emeka Ezeobi, also urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
However, Justice Oshodi maintained that the gravity of the economic crime warranted a strict custodial sentence.
The Court’s Order:
Apart from the jail term, the court ordered Udezuka to make full restitution to all four victims starting from the date of the judgment and to file an affidavit of compliance within 90 days. Furthermore, Mezu Connection Investment Limited was ordered to pay a fine of ₦500,000 on each of the four counts.