Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced one Nwamadi Monica, also known as Anozie C. Happiness, for a $196,000 fraud.
Following the retirement of Justice Sherifah Solebo in 2022, the case restarted de novo and the defendants were re-arraigned in 2024 by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 10-count charge. The charges bordered on stealing, obtaining money under false pretence, conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering, and possession of fraudulent documents to the tune of $196,000.
One of the charges stated that on or about February 16, 2011, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, Nwamadi Monica (also known as Anozie C. Happiness) and Marisec Service Limited, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $98,000 from Pilgrim Africa Limited. They falsely represented to Mr. Jacobus Marthinus Classens of Pilgrims Africa Limited that the money was for the cost of hiring a vessel, Lady Mary T, at $7,000 per day between February 16 and March 1, 2011—a claim the prosecution said was knowingly false. This act contravenes Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2016.
The defendant pleaded not guilty, prompting a full trial. During the proceedings, EFCC prosecutors F. Ofoma and Abdulhamid L. Tukur called two witnesses: Emeka Okonjo, an EFCC investigator, and Oluyemi Adewunmi, Head of Driver Licence at the FRSC, Lagos Sector.
Justice Ijelu subsequently found the defendant guilty and delivered the following sentences:
Count 1 and 4 (Conspiracy): Three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N500,000 fine.
Count 2 and 3 (Obtaining by false pretence): Ten years’ imprisonment, with no option of fine.
Count 5 (Stealing): Five years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N1,000,000 fine.
Count 6 and 7 (Forgery), Count 8 (Use of forged document): Three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N500,000 fine.
Count 9 (Uttering): Two years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
Count 10 (Possession of forged document): Two years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
Justice Ijelu ordered that all sentences run concurrently.
The court also directed Marisec Service Limited to pay a fine of N2,000,000 within thirty days. The judge noted that the penalty was calibrated to reflect the company’s central role in the offence, reinforce the principle that corporate entities cannot evade accountability for economic crimes, and serve as a deterrent to future corporate misconduct.
