Woman Jailed 10 Years For Defrauding A Widow

Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court has sentenced a 29-year-old woman, Susan Bendall to 10 years in prison for defrauding a widow, Lydia Joseph of  N4 million.
 
Bendall and three other persons, Emmanuel Ogah, Nnadi Uche, Deekla Mberebor,  who had earlier pleaded guilty, were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2005 with defrauding Lydia Joseph of N4 million under the pretence that she was a friend of her late husband in London and wanted to assist her with her children’s education.
 
One of the accomplies in the crime, Christian Mberebor is still at large.
 
The EFCC in the charge brought against the accused alleged that sometime in 2004, Susan and her accomplies conspired and defrauded Lydia by collecting several sums of money totalling over N4 million under the pretence of clearing a large consignment containing dollars sent to her from London.
 
The EFCC also alleged that after fraudulently collecting the money from Lydia, Susanl and her accomplies presented to her a box purportedly containing American bank notes and sent to her from London for the up keep of her children. She was asked to get more money to pay for the clearance before she could be allowed to open the box.
 
The accused and her accomplies were later apprehended by the EFCC during investigation when the matter was reported to the commission.
 
Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Oyewole held that the EFCC has proved beyond all reasonable doubt that Susan commited the alleged crime .
 
He said: “The alleged offence was not only conceived but its execution was already in progress with the defendant playing a principal role therein until the interruption by the investigator.”
 
Justice Oyewole subsequently sentenced her to 10 years in prison.

By Henry Ojelu