A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced Obiajulu Emmanuel to one year in prison for obtaining $850,000 under false pretences.
Justice Ismail Ijelu delivered the judgment on Monday, March 9, 2026, after finding the defendant guilty of fraud-related offences.
Emmanuel was first arraigned on November 10, 2025, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, on a 21-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretences, forgery, and retention of stolen property.
The charges were brought under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
One of the counts alleged that Emmanuel, between January 4 and December 17, 2018, dishonestly converted N12,330,423.90 belonging to Taeko Omomo for his personal use.
Another count stated that between January 7 and December 27, 2019, he also converted N8,697,505.89 belonging to the same victim.
During the trial, prosecution counsel, C. C. Okezie, tendered several documents, which were admitted as evidence by the court.
She also informed the court that the EFCC had earlier secured a final forfeiture order for three properties belonging to the defendant before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi.
The properties were forfeited in favour of the victim.
Read also:
- EFCC arrests man over alleged N10m land fraud in Enugu
- Troops of ‘Operation Fansan Yamma’ neutralise terrorists in Sokoto
- Delta introduces automatic number plate recognition system to enforce traffic laws
Following developments during the trial, the EFCC amended the charge to seven counts and re-arraigned Emmanuel on March 5, 2026.
At the re-arraignment, the defendant changed his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty”.
In his judgment, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court subsequently sentenced Emmanuel to one year imprisonment, effective from March 9, 2026, and ordered him to pay a fine of N1 million within 30 days.
The court also upheld the forfeiture of the three properties to the victim in line with the earlier order of the federal high court and directed the convict to undertake to be of good behaviour before the EFCC.
According to the EFCC, Emmanuel’s conviction stemmed from a petition filed by Taeko Omomo, who entered into a business arrangement with him in 2018.
Under the arrangement, Emmanuel proposed establishing a company, First Unspeakable Grace Ltd, to purchase land and develop properties for profitable sale.
Omomo subsequently transferred a total of $850,000 to Emmanuel to facilitate the acquisition of the properties.
However, investigations revealed that the properties were never purchased and the funds were not returned to the petitioner.
