A family man, Ajie Samuel Chukwudi, was sentenced to one year in prison by an Ikeja Special Offences Court after pleading guilty to possessing documents containing false pretenses. Justice Olubumi Fadipe-Abike delivered the verdict on April 10, 2025, after considering the defendant’s first-time offender status and his cooperation during the trial.
Chukwudi was charged under amended information dated March 27, 2025. The court was informed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Ahmad Yerima, that the defendant had been arrested on March 7, 2025, by the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation.
EFCC operative, John Daniel, testified that Chukwudi had confessed to being involved in a middleman scam. The fraudulent documents were printed from his iPhone 15 Pro in the presence of the defendant during interrogation. Chukwudi had initially gained $7,000 from the scam, of which he later restituted $4,000 in cash, which was presented as evidence in court.
Justice Fadipe-Abike, in her ruling, ordered Chukwudi to forfeit his iPhone 15 Pro and the sum of $4,000 to the Federal Government. She gave the defendant the option of serving one year in prison or paying a fine of N500,000 and completing 100 hours of community service. If he chooses the non-custodial option, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice will supervise his community service, provided he can show proof of payment of the fine.
The court’s decision was based on the defendant’s guilty plea, his restitution of part of the illicit money, and his first-time offender status. The EFCC prosecutor, Yerima, urged the court to convict Chukwudi based on the evidence presented, and the defense counsel did not object to the sentence.
This case serves as a reminder of the Nigerian government’s ongoing efforts to tackle fraud and economic crimes.
