ustice Halilu Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday convicted a former House of Representatives member and governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, on a four-count criminal charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
The ex-lawmaker was convicted for impersonation, possession of Federal Government documents and using same to fraudulently acquire land at Maitama District of Abuja.
Specifically, the lawmaker was alleged to have sometimes in March 2013, in Abuja, have in his possession a document containing false pretense with reference number MFCT/LA/FCT 1302, dated June 18, 2003, bearing the name of Ramatu Alhassan and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 6, 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Nzeribe, a former Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship aspirant in Anambra State, among others, was alleged to have used the document as genuine, thereby committed an offence contrary to section 366 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) and punishable under section 364 of the same Act.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges at the beginning of the case. However, due to his absence in court when the judgment was delivered, Nzeribe could not be sentenced to prison.
Justice Yusuf in his judgment reserved the sentence till the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives and police arrest the convict and bring him before him for deserved justice.
Consequently, the judge ordered that the land in Maitama acquired with the forged documents be taken over by the owner, Mr. Ishaya Madi, with immediate effect.
Having found the former federal lawmaker guilty as charged by EFCC, Justice Halilu said the court would defer sentencing of the convict to such a time that either the Inspector-General of Police or the EFCC arrests Nzeribe and bring him to court to be sentenced appropriately.
Nzeribe for the third time had refused to appear in court without any cogent reason.
Rather, he wrote to the EFCC a Memorandum of Understanding surrendering the land he acquired to the real owner, Ishaya Madi.
When the EFCC’s lawyer, Maryam Ahmed, produced the letter personally signed by Nzeribe, the judge only took judicial notice of it.
Meanwhile, Nzeribe’s new counsel, Victor Eden, told the court that he was not in the knowledge of the discussion that led to the issuance of the MoU and the surrendering of the land in dispute to the nominal complainant.
Justice Halilu held that the prosecution was able to discharge the onus of proof and was able to prove its case against Nzeribe beyond any reasonable doubt.
While submitting that the charges against the convict were intertwined, the judge convicted the defendant on all the four-count charge.
