American-Trained Surgeon, Nweke, Jailed 27 Years Over N35m Fraud

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday convicted and sentenced an American-trained medical doctor and surgeon, Dr. John Adindu Nweke, to 27 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

Nweke, who also claimed to be one Senator Haruna Baba Musa, a Senator from Sokoto State, was convicted by Justice Abdulazeez Anka, after pronouncing him guilty of charges conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence, made against him by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos.

Nweke’s journey to prison started on October 8, 2016, when he was brought before the court alongside Anike Igwe Stephen (now deceased) and Kelechi Chetachi Emenike (a cart pusher), on a five count-charge of conspiracy, money laundering, false representation and obtaining high class phones valued N35 Million from an online sale outlet, Konga. Among the phones fraudulently received from Konga Online Shopping Limited includes: nine Samsung phones; two blackberry phones; five iPhones; three Sunny Xperia phones and two cameras.

They were also said to issuance of dud cheques which were returned due to insufficient funds.

The prosecutor, Mr. Emmanuel Jackson, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and Officer in Charge of Lagos PSFU’s Legal Department, told the court that the Convict and others committed the offences between April and May 2015, adding that the offences are contrary to Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud, and Section 15(1)(a)(ii)(3) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004, as amended.

Sections 17(b) of the money laundering Prohibition Act 2011, as amended in 2012. And Section 1(1)(a) of the Dishonored Cheques Offences Act, Cap. D. 11, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Midway to the three men trial, one of them, Stephen Aneke Igwe, became deceased and the police amended the charge.

During their trial, the prosecutor, CSP Jackson, called several witnesses who includes the Investigation Police Officer (IPO), officials of Konga, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Fidelity Bank Plc, as well tendered several documents.

Delivering judgment on the charges today, Justice Anka, after legally analysed all the arguments of parties before him, absolved the second defendant in the charge, Kelechi Chetachi Emenike, the cart pusher, of all the charges.

Justice Anka however, pronounced Nweke guilty of conspiracy and obtaining the phones by false pretence, and consequently convicted him.

In his allucutor, the convict, Nweke, pleaded the court to have mercy on him, adding that he went into crime because he became frustrated when he could not get a job in Nigeria after being trained in America as medical doctor and surgeon.

He said: “I went to America University of Caribbean on scholarship and trained as medical doctor and surgeon. When I came back to Nigeria, I went to Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, but I was told that my certificates are not in line with Nigeria education system. I got frustrated and I met Stephen Aneke, who introduced me into the system after I treated her mummy of cancer through medicine.”

The convict also asked to give him second chance, saying he has become remorseful and learned in hard way.

The convict’s counsel, Mr. F. I. Okeke, joined his client to beg the court to have mercy on him as a first-time convict.

But the prosecutor, CSP Jackson, urged the court to use his discretion in accordance with the sections of the laws that the convict was charged.

CSP Jackson also, while citing section 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Section 321 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, told the court to order the Convict to make restitution of the money to Zenith Bank Plc, as the bank had paid the lost N35 Million back to Konga.

After listening to the plea of the convict and the counsel’s submissions, sentenced the convict to seven and 20 years imprisonment on the charges of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence

Justice Anka, however, held that the sentences are to run concurrently and commenced from the day he was arrested.