Man serving jail term charged with fraud

A 59 year-old Jones Biyere, who is currently serving a 15-year jail term has again, been charged before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, for another fraud related offences.

Biyere was on September 20, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Justice Mohammed Idris, after he was found guilty on a13-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery of foreign cheques and attempt to export the forged cheques abroad.He was brought before a Federal High Court, Lagos, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), prior to the elevation of Justice Idris to the Court of Appeal, and the trial lasted for 12 years.

In the two fresh charges marked FHC/L/66c/2018, and filed by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police, the convict was alleged to have sometimes in July 2017, fraudulently obtained the sum of N6.5million from one Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim.

The police also alleged that he issued two First City Monument Bank (FCMB) cheques for N3.5million and N3million respectively, to one Isa Salihu Akizo, which upon presentation for withdrawal, were returned due to insufficient fund in his convict’s account.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. Henry Obazi, stated that Biyere’s offences are contrary to, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 as well as Section 1 (b)(i) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act Cap 0.11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

When the matter was called before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, neither the prosecutor nor the convict was in court.Following the absence of the prosecutor and the convict, Justice Oguntoyinbo ordered that the hearing notice be issued to the prosecutor and the convict and subsequently adjourned the matter till October 15, for the convict’s arraignment on the fresh charges.

The charges read: “That you Jones Biyere, male, sometimes in November 2017, at Victoria Island in the Lagovs Judicial Division, did by false pretense and with intent to defraud, obtain the sum of N6.5million from one Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, male, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

“That you, Jones Biyere, male, on January 31, 2017, at Victoria Island in the Lagos Judicial Division of this Court, did obtain the sum of N6.5million by means of a First City Monument Bank Cheque No. 17310272 and No. 17310271 dated January 31, 2017, to the tune of N3million, respectively issued in favour of one Isa Salihu Akizo, which was presented for payment within a reasonable time and was dishonoured on the grounds that no funds or insufficient funds were standing to your credit in the bank on which the cheque was drawn, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(b)(i) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act Cap 0.11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”