Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a businessman, Obinna Kingsley Anijiofor, to nine years in prison for offences bordering on stealing and issuing dud cheques.
Anijiofor was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended three-count charge involving ₦9.5 million and $32,000, part of a total $91,000 he allegedly converted for personal use.
According to the EFCC, the complainant, Obinna Kingsley Onwubuariri, entrusted the funds to Anijiofor for the importation of goods. However, investigations revealed that the defendant diverted a portion of the money.
One of the charges read in court stated that on December 31, 2021, in Lagos, Anijiofor issued a ₦6 million cheque to Ellis Suites Ltd through OKings Industrial Supply Ltd, despite having insufficient funds in his UBA account. The cheque, dated July 3, 2022, was returned unpaid.
Another count accused him and his company, OKings Industrial Supply Ltd, of dishonestly converting $32,000 out of $91,000 meant for business transactions in 2019.
Anijiofor pleaded not guilty, prompting a full trial. The prosecution, led by M.K. Bashir, presented three witnesses and tendered several exhibits, while the defence called two witnesses.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Ijelu found the defendant guilty on all three counts and handed down the sentences: two years imprisonment on count one for issuing a dishonoured cheque; two years imprisonment on count two for issuing a dud cheque; and five years imprisonment on count three for stealing.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning Anijiofor will serve a total of nine years in prison without an option of fine.
Additionally, the court ordered the convict to refund $32,000 to the complainant as restitution.
The case stemmed from Anijiofor’s 2019 dealings, in which he received foreign exchange funds to import goods but diverted the money for personal use. Following his arrest and prosecution by the EFCC, he was convicted and remanded in a correctional centre to serve his sentence.
The EFCC described the ruling as “another victory for accountability,” reaffirming its commitment to pursuing financial crimes and securing justice for victims of fraud.
