28th September, 2023
By Ugochi Joy Ugochukwu
A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja has sentenced Isah Tafida to 17 months in prison for dishonestly presenting himself as a police officer.
Tafida, a resident of 4th Avenue FHA Lugbe Abuja, faced charges of impersonation, criminal breach of trust, and cheating.
The presiding Judge, Aliyu Kagarko, delivered the sentence after Tafida pleaded guilty to three counts leveled against him and appealed to the court for leniency.
Kagarko, however, provided an alternative for Tafida to pay a fine of N60,000, considering the convict’s admission of guilt, which saved the court from lengthy proceedings.
He cautioned Tafida to exhibit good behavior and ordered him to compensate the complainant, N56,000, or face 7 months of imprisonment as an alternative to the compensation.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr. Stanley Nwaforaku, informed the court that the complainants, Mr. Celestine Mathew and Isaac Obadiah, both residents of 4th Avenue FHA Lugbe Abuja, reported the incident at the Lugbe Police Station on September 16.
Nwaforaku explained that sometime in September, the convict had falsely presented himself as a police officer, displaying an identity card bearing his name and photograph. He duped the complainants by falsely claiming that the Nigeria Police Force was conducting a recruitment drive and promised to enlist them.
Under this false pretense, the convict fraudulently collected N56,000 from the complainants for police forms, uniforms, and transportation to the Ikeja police college in Lagos but failed to fulfill his promise.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Tafida was a dismissed police officer. He had confessed to his actions during the police inquiry, and a police identity card with his name and photograph was retrieved from him.
The offenses committed by Tafida are in violation of sections 321, 322, and 179 of the Penal Code
NAN