Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, the state capital, on Monday, June 30, 2025, convicted and sentenced Sunday Ogbobi and Agu Godwin to jail for criminal activities.
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC prosecuted Ogbobi on one-count charge, bordering on criminal diversion of funds and Godwin on one-count charge of criminal impersonation.
The charge against Ogbobi reads: “That you, Sunday Ogbobi on or about the 23rd of January, 2025 in Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, while being in the employment of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, dishonestly diverted the total sum of N480,000.00 (Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira, only) and thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 274 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.”
The charge against Godwin reads: “That you, Agu Godwin ( a.k.a Joey Tempest) on or about the 8th of June, 2025 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, impersonated one Joey Tempest (a White Man) via Facebook platform and in such assumed character, deceived unsuspecting members of the public and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 142 (1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under the same law.”
They pleaded “guilty” to their charge, following which prosecution counsel, M.O Arumemi, prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel, M.K Jonathan and Ochai Godwin pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating their clients have become remorseful of their actions.
Justice Bello, thereafter, convicted and sentenced Ogbobi to two years imprisonment or to pay N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he restituted the sum of N480,000.00 (Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira), being the proceeds of his crime, to Guaranty Trust Bank. The judge convicted and sentenced Godwin to two years imprisonment or to pay N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 13 Pro, which was the tool of his crime, to the federal government.
In a related development, the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on Monday, June 30, 2025, arraigned one Pius Ogbaje Onmonya before Justice Bello. He was arraigned on a two-count charge, bordering on criminal impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Pius Ogbaje Onmonya (a.k.a Cidhant Holinton) (m), between January and June, 202,5, Kadu,na within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence, to wit: falsely presented yourself as Cidhant Holinton on Facebook (an online social media application), which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017.”
He pleaded “not guilty”, following which the prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional centre, while the defence counsel, N.C Oche, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.
Justice Bello after listening to both counsels, ordered for the remand of the defendant in the custody of Nigeria Correctional Service and adjourned the case till July 3, 2025 for the hearing of bail application.
Onmonya was among the suspects arrested in Kaduna Metropolis by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, following actionable intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.
