Court orders corps member to clean church for 6 months for fraud

An FCT High Court in Kubwa, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered a 30-year-old youth corps member, Chibuike Omemgboji to clean the premises of the Winners Chapel, Jahi, Abuja for six months.

Omemgboji pleaded guilty to cheating filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and begged the court for leniency.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya, ordered Omemgboji to report to the church daily from June 15, sign in and out upon completion of the service.

Ogbonnaya however warned him to desist from committing crimes and be of good behaviour.

The Defence Counsel, Mr Eteh Enobong, had told the court that Omemgboji, who had no previous conviction in Nigeria or abroad was remorseful and repentant.

”Omemgboji repented before he was arrested and revealed his true identity to the victim, apologised and attempted to make restitution and has started a new business with his wife.

”He has decided to forfeit a Honda Accord car and an iPhone X, being proceeds of the crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Enobong said.

He added that Omemgboji is a family man who has a baby and was the bread-winner of his family.

Earlier, the EFCC Counsel, Mariya Shariff told the court that Omemgboji, alias Surajo Ascencio fraudulently created a Facebook and Instagram account sometime in 2022.

Shariff said Omemgboji, misrepresented himself to be ”Ascencio” to one Sarah Vakunta and received 4, 328 dollars from her under the pretence of being in love with her.

The offence, she said, contravened the provisions of Section 320 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 322.