A Kaduna man identified as Darlington Ogihonmwanghomwan has been jailed for defrauding one Zainab Baloni of the sum of N1.2 million through a phony poultry investment deal.
Ogihonmwanghomwan was arrested after his victim petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC about the fraud.
The victim alleged that she came in contact with the convict through his business account on Instagram, and that in their conversations he assured her that his company is a multi-billion naira agricultural firm that was into mass production of poultry and eggs.
She added that Ogihonmwanghomwan assured her that investors in his company will get five percent return on the investment every two days for 15 days in one month and that an investor can make withdrawals at will and at any point.
But the petitioner said after she paid him total of N1.2 million, Ogihonmwanghomwan failed to fulfil his own end of the agreement and also failed to refund her money.
Following his arrest, the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arraigned and prosecuted Ogihonmwanghomwan on a one-count charge, bordering on cheating to the tune of N1.2million
The charge reads: “That you Darlington Ogihonmwanghomwan (while being the operator of Hale Bird Poultry Company) sometime in December, 2023 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cheated one Zainab Baloni by dishonestly inducing her to deliver to you the sum of N1,200,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira) only which was the property of the said Zainab Baloni and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 306 (a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 307 of the same Law.”
He pleaded “guilty” when the charge was read to him, following which prosecution counsel, M. U. Gadaka urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Isiaka sentenced him to three years imprisonment or to pay N100,000.00 (Hundred Thousand Naira).
