Justice U.J. Mogboh of the Enugu State High Court sitting in Agbani, Enugu State, on June 19, 2025, convicted and sentenced one George Amechi Igwesi to seven years’ imprisonment for land fraud.
Igwesi was arraigned alongside his company, Georgeann Enterprises Limited, by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 19, 2023, on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of Eleven Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N11,400,000.00). The offence is 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.
One of the charges reads: “That you, George Amechi Igwesi and Georgeann Enterprises Limited on or about the 1st day of July, 2022 in Agbani Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, by false pretences and with intent to defraud, obtained from Charles Emeka Okenwa, the sum of Eleven Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira only (N11,400,000.00), as payment for two plots of land, situated at Amurri Road, Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, under the pretext that the said land belongs to you and thereby committed an offence.”
The convict pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, setting the stage for his trial.
Hearing of the matter began on January 23, 2024, and in the course of trial, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani, presented three witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence.
Delivering judgment, Justice Mogboh said that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and convicted the 1st defendant (Igwesi) on both counts. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of fine. The court also ordered Igwesi to perform community service for a period of six months at the High Court premises in line with Section 392 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2007.
The court further ordered Igwesi to restitute the sum of Seven Million Naira to one Charles Okenwa, the petitioner, having restituted part of the money during the investigation of the case. The court, however, discharged and acquitted the second defendant (Georgeann Enterprises Ltd).
Igwesi was arrested on July 1, 2022, after fraudulently obtaining the sum of N12 million from Okenwa as payment for two plots of land situated at Amurri Road in Agbani, Enugu State, under the pretext that he owned the said land. Investigations revealed that the property did not belong to him. He neither delivered the property to the petitioner nor returned his money.
