An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo on Wednesday sentenced one Wayo Samuel, to eight years imprisonment for fraud.
The convict, whose name, “Wayo” in Ibibio means, “Fraudster” was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Justice Okon Okon of High Court 8, Uyo.
He was arraigned on an eight-count charge of obtaining by false pretense which is contrary to and punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Mr. Wayo was also found to have swindled people with the promise of giving them employment into the public service which punishable under Section 112 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
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He was arrested based on a petition to the ICPC from one of his victims, whom he extorted the sum of N140.000.00.
In the petition, the victim said Mr. Wayo had claimed to be an Air Commodore in the Nigerian Air Force(NAF) and promised to assist him get recruited in the NAF’s Batch “B” Direct Short Course (DSS) for June, 2017.
Upon receipt of the petition, the ICPC promptly arrested the suspect and upon investigation found out Mr. Wayo was was neither an Air Commodore nor a personnel of the Nigerian Air Force.
Further investigations also revealed that he had at different times used the same ploy to defraud several other people of various sums of money in Akwa Ibom State with the promise to help them get recruited into the Nigerian Air Force.
After listening to all the charges brought against him, Mr. Wayo pleaded guilty and was consequently sentenced to eight years imprisonment with an option to pay a cumulative sum of N450, 000.
The sentences are to run concurrently.