Court jails 62-year-old retired colonel seven years for defrauding church N34.5m

Justice F. N. Yunusa of The Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on Wednesday sentenced one Eugene Okpala to seven years imprisonment in a case of conspiracy, and obtaining by false pretence  brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Okpala, a 62-year-old retired colonel, was charged for duping Domonion City Church to the  of N34.5million (thirty-four million, five hundred thousand naira) in 2010.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, that the 62-year-old convict was earlier slated for trial on Wednesday but the case took a different turn when the retired colonel decided to change his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty”.

Okpala was said to have in 2008, approached one lawyer, Vincent Obetta, of Igwurube Chambers and a member of Dominion City Church under the pretext of having large portion of land for sale at N40m.

The complainant, Dominium City Church, in need of a landed property to build their school, negotiated and eventually bought the land for N34.5million (thirty-four million, five hundred thousand naira).

The church also paid additional five percent of the sum, which is N1,750,000.00 (one million, seven hundred and fifty thousand naira) as agency fee to Igbwurube Chambers.

Consequently, in September 2010, the church started developing the land, but another lawyer came up to tell them that the land belonged to one Philip Asiodu.

Investigation was launched into the matter and the convict was found culpable and was arraigned.

During trial, the counsel to the EFCC, I. I. Mbachie tendered 13 exhibits which were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit C1-13.

Having changed his plea, the defence counsel, E. O. Isinu, prayed the court to “temper justice with mercy” saying, his client was a first time offender.

Justice Yunusa consequently sentenced Okpala to seven (7) years imprisonment on each count preferred against him.

The sentences are to run concurrently.