Dor impersonation and defrauding his victim of the sum of N266.5 million, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, today convicted and sentenced a fake Army General, Abiodun Bolarinwa to seven years imprisonment.
The judge sentenced Bolarinwa to seven years imprisonment without the option of a fine after he pleaded guilty to the 13 counts chachargesought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Delivering the judgment, the judge said that she intends to send a strong message to scammers given the country a bad name, noted that the convict shows the length scammer can go to defraud the innocent victims
“The defendant portrayed himself to be an Army General, he forged the signature of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and current president Mohammadu Buhari in defrauding and obtaining by pretences from his victim.
” He so perfected the scam by the level of his education, that one wonders if such an individual should be allowed to walk scot-free. It is so sad that people like this have given our dear country a bad name.
“I, therefore, sentence you Abiodun Olusegun Abolarinwa to seven years imprisonment without an option of a fine. “
The judge further ordered that” the convict should pay the victim, N20 million and the four vehicles: black Range Rover, black BMW car, black Toyota Land Cruiser, and white Toyota Hilux with reg no Lagos KTU 985 ET recovered from him be forfeited.
“His property situated at No 1A, Joke Ayo Street, Alagbado be also forfeited and his First Bank account No 3050622693 opened with the name
Hassan Kareem Ayinde and later changed to Bolarinwa Oluwasegun Abiodun which he used in perpetrating the fraud to be closed.”
The anti-graft had alleged that the convict obtained money by false pretence, forgery of documents and possession of documents containing false pretence to the tune of Two Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Five hundred Thousand (N266,500,000) only.
His offences are contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006; Section 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006, respectively.
He posed as a General in the Nigerian Army, accused by the EFCC of making false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that the President, Muhammadu Buhari, had short-listed him and one other to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), and that he needed a short grant to “press and process the appointment.”
He was alleged to have forged a letter of appointment as COAS purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim.
Abiodun was also accused of forging a Nigeria Army idencard card with serial number 387140, claiming the same to have been issued to him from the Nigerian Army, and another forged Letter of Recommendation purportedly signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recommending one Adebayo Rasaq Adebola, with recruitment No 77RRI/OG/556/0032555 and Adeogun Emmanuel Adesola with recruitment No 77RRI/OG/352/0123751 for employment into the Nigeria Army.
He was also accused of being in possession of a forged Certificate of Confirmation dated 7th November 2018, purporting the same to have emanated from the Nigerian Army Headquarters.
He was also accused of being in possession of a forged document titled: Letter of Authorisation, purportedly signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo permitting De-Rock Maritime Resource L.T.D. to enter Apapa Port freely and load their truck.
However, during the trial, the EFCC counsel had called six witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits.
However, when the case was called Thursday, the defendant informed the court that he wanted to change his plea from not guilty; he pleaded initially to guilty. So he was re-arraigned on 13 counts.
Oyedepo prayed the court to convict the defendant as charged. He said that the court should consider the interest of the victim, the gravity of the offence that victims have lost huge money and some properties to the convict.
“Whatever the victim can get, note that the convict was charged for obtaining N266.5 million. His action in First Bank which he used to defraud be closed. We have shown in our exhibit G that the defendant’s name while he was opening the account bears Hassan Kareem Ayinde, he approached the bank to change his name to Abiodun Bolarinwa. The document forged was purported to be signed by the President.”
Defendant counsel, Otunba Ogunleye in his allocutus prayed the court to temper justice with mercy. The defendant is a middle-aged man 50 years old. Noted that he has a wife and several challenges as well as extended family members under his care.
“The defendant has been remorseful and considering his age, we urged the court to be inspired by the provision provided by the charge he plead to. The purpose of the sentence is to serve as a deterrent to others. I urge the court, in the spirit of showing mercy to the defendant, by tempering justice with mercy.”