Justice Idrissa Kolo of the Federal High Court Kano today January 17, 2017 convicted and sentenced one Christopher Ngene to nine years imprisonment without option of fine on a three count charge of Conspiracy and Obtaining by False pretence.


The convict fraudulently induced the complainant through a phone call to part with the sum of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) under the pretext that the money would be used to purchase solar panel. After he obtained the money from the complainant, he again called the complainant with another demand for the sum of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) which according to him would be used to register the complainant’s company with the Corporate Affairs Commission. 

Full investigation was conducted which led to the arrest of the convict.

Upon arraignment on 24th November, 2014, he pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him and he was eventually remanded in prison custody pending his perfection of bail terms which he could not fulfil up till today. In today's proceeding, the convict dramatically asked the court to read the charge again and subsequently changed his plea of not guilty to guilty. 

In view of his latest plea, prosecution counsel Musa Isah urged the court to convict him aaccordingly.
Justice Idrissa subsequently convicted Christopher and sentenced him to a prison term of three years on each of the three count charge. The sentence was to run concurrently and also take effect from the day of his arrest.


One of the charge read that you Christopher Ngene and others (now at large) on or about 16th of June, 2014 at Kano, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) from one Yahaya Musa Yakubu via Aliyu Bello's account domiciled at Fidelity Bank with account number 6233095360, under the false pretence that the money was meant for state or inter-country registration for his organisation which and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.