A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court for impersonation and fraud.
The suspect identified as Gideon Chubu reportedly impersonated a soldier and duped a mobile police officer of N40,000.
Punch reports that Chubu was arraigned on a
two-count charge, bordering on cheating and impersonation which both
contravene Section 326 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004.
The prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Agbadu, told the court that one Cpl. Elija Ikwe, attached to 13 Police Mobile Force, Makurdi, reported the matter at ‘C’ Division Police Station, Makurdi on November 6.
According
to the reports, Ikwe met Chubu who introduced himself as a soldier
serving with the Chief of Defence Staff in Abuja, at Wurukum roundabout,
Makurdi, on October 26.
Ikwe reported that the convict deceptively collected N40,000 from him, promising to help enlist his younger brother into the Nigerian Army.
Punch reports that the convict was later discovered to have converted the money to his personal use, as he was not a soldier.
The
prosecutor revealed that Chubu was arrested during the police
investigation into the case and that the suspect confessed to the crime.
Chubu who pleaded guilty to the crime, begged the court for leniency.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs Lillian Tsumba, who noted that the convict was a first time offender, said the sentence was to serve as a deterrent to others.
Chubu was also ordered to pay back the sum of N40,000 he fraudulently collected from the policeman.
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