Court Discharges Alleged Fake EFCC Officers in Delta

By Gabriel Elozino

The Ughelli Magistrate Court in Delta State has discharged two persons, Emmanuel Chubuike (m), 21 years and Daniel Emuchay (m) 62 years, who were arrested and charged to the court for impersonating officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The duo were charged with two count charges of impersonation and falsification of identity, which are punishable under section 516 and 484 respectively of the Criminal Code of Delta State, 2006.

They were first arraigned before the court on the 14th of January, 2022 after the complainant, Chief Anthony Ugedoma, a hotelier urged the police to charge the case to court following their arrest at his hotel premises.

However, at the resumed hearing, on Thursday, January 20, 2022 the complainant, through his counsel, Barr. Stewart Egedegbe, applied for the withdrawal of the case, pointing that both parties have found an ‘out of court solution to the matter’.

Testifying under oath, the complainant said that the defendants and their families have pleaded with him and have shown remorse over their actions, appealing to the presiding magistrate to discharge them.

In his ruling, the presiding magistrate, Magistrate Onome Isade discharged both defendants.

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It could be recalled that the two accused were arrested at a popular hotel premises in Ekiugbo community in Ughelli.

According to sources, “Two of them drove into the hotel premises, went into the reception and bought drinks after which one of them went outside and began to interrogate other customers of the hotel on what they do for a living.

“As that was not enough, they were also demanding for vehicle particulars of the customers, the exchange of words between them and the customers drew the attention of the security agents at the premises.

“While the suspected fake EFCC officials were being interrogated by the mobile policemen attached to the hotel, it was discovered that they were imposters as they could not provide their identity cards.

“One of the suspects, said he is a pointer man to EFCC in Kaduna and they were going to Warri and decided to branch Ughelli first just to relax.

“However, when the police arrived he now said he is a Navy staff while the other suspect held that he was driver carrying the boy to Warri in Delta state from Port Harcourt.”