.
.
Justice Binta Fatima Isah of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria, yesterday January 17, 2017, convicted and sentenced one Jehu Kwasu to 3 years in prison on a two-count charge of forgery and obtaining by false pretence.
.
.
The graduate of Political Science narrated how he impersonated the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah and defrauded prominent Nigerians of millions of naira.
.
.
Kwasu said his victims included Bishop David Oyedepo, who he claimed gave him N500,000; the Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko, N1m; Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, N500,000; businessman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, N2m.
.
.
He allegedly collected the sums for Internally Displaced Persons. He said: “I opened a GTB account in Bishop Kukah’s name. I registered a SIM card in my name, but used Bishop Kukah’s picture on my True Caller account, so that when I call, his picture would appear on the recipient’s phone.”
.
.
Justice Binta sentenced him to two years imprisonment for the offence of obtaining by false pretence and one-year imprisonment for the offence of forgery. The sentence is to run concurrently. He was also ordered to restitute the sum of N5m.
.
.
In a related development, Justice Idrissa Kolo of the Federal High Court, Kano, convicted and sentenced one Christopher Ngene to 9 years imprisonment on three counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
.
.
The convict fraudulently induced the complainant through a phone call to part with the sum of N350, 000 on the pretext that the money would be used to purchase a solar panel.
.
.
Justice Idrissa sentenced him to a prison term of 3 years on each of the three-count charge. The sentence is to run concurrently from the day of his arrest.
