Man Bags 1-Year Jail Term for Possession of Fraudulent Documents
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, on Thursday, November 7, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Miracle Leleji Tega to one year and two months imprisonment for possession of fraudulent documents.
Tega was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on an amended one-count charge bordering on possession of documents containing false pretence, contrary to Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The count reads: “Miracle Leleji Tega, on or about the 19th day of April, 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your possession a document titled “Google Account Personal info”, printed from your Email: sofianrique2001@gmail.com, containing a false pretence that you are Sofia Enriquez, a female American citizen, which from the circumstances of this case you knew or reasonably ought to have known to be false.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, D. I. Oluseyi, gave a review of the facts of the case to prove the guilt of the defendant.
According to him, “Sometime in April 2024, the Lagos Directorate of the EFCC conducted a raid around Victory Estate Ajah, Lekki area of Lagos State.
“The defendant was arrested with one Iphone 11 and one Tecno Spark 9.
“ His device was analysed in his presence and bundles of documents were printed out in his presence.
“The documents were alleged conversations, where he fraudulently represented himself as a white woman from the United States of America to his victim, Cheri Briddle, an American man.”
Continuing, he said: “The defendant has benefitted the sum of $100USD from his criminal activities.
“However, he has restituted the sum of N100,000.00 out of all he benefited from his criminal activities.”
The prosecution then tendered, in evidence, the statements made by the defendant and the fraudulent documents obtained from his devices, with Iphone 11 and one Tecno Spark 9.
There was no objection from the defence counsel, Bukola Niniola; hence, they were all admitted by the court as evidence against the defendant.
In view of this, the prosecution urged the court to convict the defendant as charged and to order the forfeiture of the devices recovered from him to the Federal Government.
Justice Oshodi declared him guilty as charged.
The defendant who was given an opportunity to address the court pleaded for mercy.
Justice Oshodi sentenced him to one year and two months imprisonment.
