Magistrate Court Sends Elder Gborubo To Prison For Defrauding FCT NAWOJ Of $5000
An FCT Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced one Elder Joshua Gborubo to one year prison term or pay N20, 000 as an option of fine and a compensation of N1.8M ($5000) to the FCT Chapter of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).
The court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Idayat Akanni found Gborubo, 53years old from Bayelsa state, guilty of criminal breach of trust.
The Magistrate ruled that Gborubo will continue serving his prison term until all compensations are confirmed paid. Gborubo was accordingly taken to Keffi Prison pending when the fine and compensation to NAWOJ are fully paid.
Based on the First Information Report (FIR), presented by the prosecution counsel, Barrister Oyeyemi Olowosoke, said that over a year ago, the said Elder Joshua Gborubo used his NGOs domiciliary account to receive donation of $5000 from an agency on behalf of NAWOJ.
The donation was for the organization of the Abuja State of Emergency Child Theft/Kidnapping, Trafficking and Adoption Bridge Collapse Programme.
However, Gborubo allegedly disappeared after receiving the money as he made himself incommunicado and refused picking calls and text messages sent to his GSM phone.
Several efforts made by the chairperson, FCT NAWOJ, Stella Okoh-Esene, to establish contact with the accused to return the money failed.
He was however traced and arrested in April 2019 in Gishiri Parish of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry and taken to Gishiri Police Station before he was transferred to Mubachi Divisional Police headquarters where he eventually confessed to the crime.
The accused told the police that he utilized the money to get herbal treatment for himself at the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
Curiously, having pleaded guilty before the Court, the accused later in a dramatic turn of event moved to change his plea that was already in the records of the court to a different plea of “not guilty”.
Counsel to NAWOJ, Barrister Stephen Orji however objected to the plan which he argued should not be allowed by the court adding that the move was a clear indication that the accused person was not ready to pay the money he collected and converted to his personal use fraudulently.
The Court however rejected the application of the legal representation of the accused to change his plea, as Chief Magistrate Akanni ruled that the earlier plea was not obtained under duress in court.
At the end of the court proceedings, counsel to NAWOJ, Barrister Stephen Orji said he is happy that the law took its course in the case as justice has been properly served to the litigants.
In his words; “I believe the essence of the law is to bring about justice. If he had admitted without coercion that he took the money, why did he now try to change and switch things and probably get away with it?”
Also commenting on the case, prosecution councel, Barrister Oyeyemi Olowosoke was of the view that the judgement served the course of justice adding that it will act to discourage other acts of breach of trust.
In her reaction, chairperson of FCT NAWOJ, Stella Okoh-Esene said the judgement has exonerated her from any complicity that was bound to come as a result of people’s interpretation of the way and manner Elder Joshua Gborubo treated her.
