Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has rendered a verdict and imposed a six-year prison sentence on George Turnah, a former Special Adviser to Dan Abia, the former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Additionally, two others, Ebis Orubebe and Uzorgor Silas Chidebere, were also sentenced in connection to charges of obtaining money under false pretenses, money laundering, conversion of funds, and forgery. These charges are in violation of Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The sentencing occurred on Thursday, September 7, 2023, following their conviction on charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Port Harcourt Zonal Command. The defendants were initially arraigned by the EFCC in May 2017 and subsequently re-arraigned on January 25, 2021, facing a total of 23 counts, which included allegations of obtaining money through false pretenses, money laundering, and abuse of office, amounting to a staggering sum of N2,894,500,000 (Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety-Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
One of the charges, Count 6, stated that on or about November 24, 2014, the defendants, including George Turnah Alabh, Uzogor Silas Chidiebere, and various companies, acquired the sum of Seven Hundred and Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N708,500,000.00), which they ought to have known was obtained through false pretenses from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). This money was purportedly intended for providing employment opportunities for 300 youths and women groups, constituting an offense under Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Count 23 of the charges also accused George Turnah Alabh of receiving the sum of $1,000,000 (One Million United States Dollars) in cash from Umar Lawal of Hakuri Global Concept in 2014, which exceeded the statutory limit without passing through a financial institution. This act was deemed an offense under Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.
Initially pleading “not guilty” to the charges, the defendants faced prosecution counsel I. Agwu, who presented multiple witnesses and submitted documents to substantiate the case against them. Subsequently, Justice Mohammed passed down the following sentences:
George Turnah Alabh (1st defendant) was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) as an alternative.
Uzorgor Silas Chidiebere (2nd defendant) and Ebis Orubebe (3rd defendant) were each sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) each, to be deposited into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Furthermore, the 4th, 6th, and 10th defendants were instructed to return the sum of One Hundred and Eighty Million Naira (N180,000,000). Additional restitution orders included: N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) linked to the 1st convict,
N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) associated with the 6th and 10th convicts, N50,000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) traced to Optimal Standard,
All of these funds were to be forfeited to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Other restitution amounts included: N46,760,843.61 (Forty-Six Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Three Naira, Sixty-One Kobo), N494,371.86 (Four Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-One Naira, Eighty-Six Kobo),
N13,000,000 (Thirteen Million Naira), and N23,500,000 (Twenty-Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira),
These sums were also to be forfeited to the NDDC by the 9th, 4th, 2nd, and 3rd defendants, respectively.
