3rd June, 2019
By Akin Kuponiyi
Justice Mojisola Olatoregum of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday sentenced a former Acting Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Calistus Obi to seven years imprisonment over N136 million fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had preferred an eight-count charge against Obi, who was also a former Executive Director of the agency.
He was charged along with one Alu Dismas, an aide to Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of NIMASA.
Also charged are two companies, Grand Pact Ltd. and Global Seal Investment Ltd.
The judge had discharged the defendants on counts one and three of the charge.
However, Obi was sentenced on six counts. In each of the count, he is sentenced to seven years imprisonment, making it a total of 42 years.
Obi is to serve the six charges concurrently, meaning he is to spend seven years imprisonment.
Also, the court granted him an option of fine for each of the count charge. In five of the counts, he is to pay a fine of N7 million each as an option not to go to jail, while on count five, he is to pay a fine of N10 million.
Details later…