A statement from the
EFCC says the convicts, alongside their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment
Limited, were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 16-count charges, bordering on conspiracy
to steal and stealing, contrary to Section 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal
Code, CAP 21, Vol 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.
They pleaded “not
guilty” to the charges, upon their arraignment on June 19, 2017.
Their trial by the
EFCC legal team of V. O. Agbaje and K. U. Udus followed a petition and
investigation which fingered them in the stealing of the sum of N32,516,620.00
(Thirty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty
Naira).
The first defendant,
Pastor Aberefa was sentenced to one year imprisonment on each of the 16 counts,
while the second defendant, Reverend Okpogo was sentenced to one year
imprisonment each on count seven to 16, all of which run consecutively.
It would be recalled
that the convicts, who are already serving terms in prison, having been earlier
jailed 17 years by both the Federal High Court, Asaba and Delta State High
Court, Warri, in Delta State, would serve a new sentence, which Justice Azinge
said would take effect after they have completed the extant 17 years
imprisonment.
Trouble started for
the convicts, when under the guise of running a finance company, they defrauded
dozens of unsuspecting members of the public of millions of naira, through
their fraudulent Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited.
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