By Emmanuel Daniji

Five persons have been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment each for their involvement in a fraud case involving Chi Limited and sums totalling N117.7 million.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement on X, saying Justice K.A. Jose of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Tapa, Lagos, convicted the five defendants on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

The convicts are Yinka Salawu, Joshua Oluremi Daramola, Raji Ahmed, Afolabi Israel Olusegun and Muraina Olanrewaju Abdullahi.

They were prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.

According to the EFCC, one of the counts alleged that Salawu and other defendants, including some who are still at large, obtained N81,359,922 from Chi Limited in 2009 under the false pretence that the money was payment for goods and services supplied to the company.

The commission said the defendants allegedly failed to deliver the goods and services or refund the money, leading to their prosecution.

During the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses drawn from the EFCC, Nigeria Police Force, banks and Chi Limited. Several documentary exhibits were also tendered before the court in support of the prosecution’s case.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, Justice Jose found the first, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh defendants guilty on Counts One, Two and Three and convicted them accordingly.

However, the second, third and eighth defendants were discharged and acquitted.

Following the convictions, prosecution counsel, M.S. Owede, urged the court to invoke Section 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act and order the convicts to restitute Chi Limited, the petitioner, with the sums contained in Counts Two and Three, totalling N117,755,061.

Owede also asked the court to order the sale of properties belonging to the first convict, with the proceeds paid to Chi Limited, or alternatively, have the properties forfeited to the petitioner.

In her ruling, Justice Jose sentenced each of the five convicts to seven years in prison without an option of a fine.

The judge, however, directed that the convicts be given credit for the periods they had already spent in custody, with such periods deducted from their seven-year sentences.

On restitution, Justice Jose relied on Section 297 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law to order the convicts to repay Chi Limited the sums contained in the relevant counts.

The judge further directed that any money already paid by the convicts be deducted from the amounts to be restituted.

The case dates back to allegations that the defendants obtained N81,359,922 from Chi Limited under the false pretence that the money represented payment for goods and services supplied to the company.

The EFCC said its investigation established that the goods and services were allegedly not delivered and that the money was not returned to Chi Limited, resulting in the prosecution and eventual conviction of the five defendants.