30th June, 2016
A man, Usman Idenebheme, was on Thursday jailed for 12 months by an Ikeja High Court in Lagos for stealing N3.2million from his employer.
Idenebheme of No. 45, Igando Road, Ikotun, Lagos, was sentenced following a guilty plea to a one-count charge of stealing.
The convict had entered a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in which he had promised to refund the stolen money to his employer, Edo-Ehigie Eloghosa.
Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya, while sentencing Idenebheme, said the prosecution was able to prove the ingredients of the crime.
“The court is satisfied that the prosecution has been able to prove the ingredients of the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
“The defendant is sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with effect from Jan. 11, 2016,” Ogunsanya said.
Earlier, counsel to Idenebheme, Mr S.O Oghele, in his allocutus, pleaded for mercy on behalf of the convict.
“The defendant is a young man and the complainant was his boss with whom he enjoyed a father and son relationship.
“He has offered restitution, I plead for leniency on his behalf,” Oghele said.
The counsel for the EFCC, Mr A.A Adebayo, said that the claimant petitioned the anti-graft agency over the theft.
“We received a petition from Mr Edo-Ehigie Eloghosa who traded under his company name, El-Forte Limited.
“He said that N3.2million, which was entrusted to Idenebheme for buying and selling diesel, was diverted to his personal use.
“While in EFCC custody, he said he used some of the money to help out a friend of his and he gave the rest to one Tony.
“He, however, could not give us the address or phone number of the Tony,” Adebayo said.
The EFCC counsel added that the complainant had waived N1.2million of the stolen money and that till date the convict had only been able to refund N220,000.
“He has promised to make monthly installmental payments of N50,000 to the complainant.
“He has so far only paid N220,000 out of the N2million sum,” he said.
Adebayo said the offence contravened Section 285 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.