An Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced Peter Nwogu-Anucha, an estate agent, to three years in prison for stealing N700,000 from a client. The court found him guilty of obtaining the money with the intention of permanently depriving the victim of it.
An Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced an estate agent, Peter Nwogu-Anucha, to three years imprisonment for stealing N700,000. Justice Rahman Oshodi delivered the judgment on Friday, holding that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the charge of stealing against the convict and his company, Business Defense Solutions Ltd.
According to the judge, the evidence showed that the complainant, Mr. Obinna Ukpabi, paid N700,000 to lease a property from the convict through a realtor. However, the convict had no legal interest in subleasing the property and disappeared with the money without delivering possession of the property or refunding the money.
The judge noted that the convict had been standing trial for several years since 2018 and had shown no remorse or regret for his crime. He also considered that the convict had been in custody for a similar offence before another court and had habitually engaged in fraudulent schemes to trick unsuspecting victims.
The judge sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment starting from March 12, 2018, and imposed a fine of N500,000 on the second convict, Business Defense Solutions Ltd., which must be paid within 90 days of the judgment.
