Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court in Calabar has convicted and sentenced Uno Michael Eke, Chief Executive Officer of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, to one year in prison for conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretenses, and money laundering amounting to ₦2 billion.
Eke was convicted after pleading guilty to a four-count amended charge filed against him by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His conviction follows an extensive investigation into fraudulent investment schemes operated under his cooperative society.
One of the charges read:“That you, Uno Michael Eke (being the President/CEO of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society), along with Aya Kanu Aya (Alias Mbakara), now at large, conspired between June and August 2018 in Calabar to obtain property by false pretenses, an offense contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another charge detailed how Eke, in July 2018, fraudulently obtained ₦2 million from an investor, Kubnse Ogar Ebute, by falsely promising an 80% return on investment within 40 days.
Upon Eke’s guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, urged the court to convict him accordingly. The defense counsel, Ime Umanah, presented a plea bargain agreement and appealed for leniency.
After reviewing the evidence and the plea bargain, Justice Oghoghorie sentenced Eke to one year iEke’s downfall began when multiple victims reported that he had collected large sums of money, promising high returns within a short period. Investigations revealed that he operated several bank accounts through which he amassed ₦2 billion, which he used to acquire real estate and other assets in Calabar.
The EFCC urged the public to remain vigilant against fraudulent investment schemes, reiterating its commitment to prosecuting financial crimes and ensuring justice for victims.
