Two Men Matthew James 26 and Chibuike Anyanwu 20 both of Nyanya, Abuja were today arraigned before a Grade 1 Area Court, Karu in Abuja for allegedly claiming to be Pastors.
The Judge, Inuwa Maiwada, sentenced them to 12 months intensive religious training at Suleja custodial centre or Fine of Forty Thousand Naira (40,000) with the compensation of Twenty Thousand Naira to the nominal complainant.
The first and second defendants faced a five-count charge bordering on joint acts, criminal breach of trust, cheating by impersonation, extortion and belonging to a gang of thieves.
The Prosecutor, Adeyanju Ayotunde, told the court that the accused committed the offence on 9th October just around A. A Rano Nyanya Abuja.
He further said that the defendants falsely presented themselves to one Chidi John of Kurudu, Abuja as men of God while he was coming back from work. They started telling him about family problems and in the process deceived him of his Huawei phone valued at Twenty Thousand Naira (N20, 000) and before he knew what was happening, he started receiving alerts that Twenty thousand Naira was withdrawn from his Access Bank Mobile App.
The defendants pleaded guilty. Ayotunde said the offences contravened sections 79, 312, 324, 292 and 306 of penal code law.
New National Star reports that, the stolen phone was recovered from the first and second defendants. Further investigation by the police revealed that both of them belong to a gang of 419 fraudsters specialized in defrauding innocent Nigerians.