Title: Two Men Convicted and Sentenced for Money Laundering in Multi-Million Naira Fraud Case by Benin High Court

Conviction of Amadi Amos Obazee and Presley Oteigbe Ibadin

On Monday, July 10, 2023, the Federal High Court in Benin City, under the presidency of Justice C.A. Obiozor, convicted and sentenced Amadi Amos Obazee and Presley Oteigbe Ibadin for their involvement in a money laundering scam worth over a billion naira.

Arraignment and charges against Obazee and Ibadin

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the two men on a six-count charge in 2023 for aiding and abetting the laundering of funds for Queen Osifo and Innocent Moura Chukwubuzor, two Nigerian residents in France.

Guilty Pleas from the Accused

Both Obazee, alias Osazuwa, and Ibadin, first-time offenders, pleaded guilty to the charges. Obazee admitted taking possession of N1, 141,410,620 which he confessedly knew to be proceeds of crime linked to Osifo, violating the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012. Ibadin was found to have taken possession of £1,226,844, acknowledging it as proceeds of crime for his bosses.

Prosecution and Defense Counsels’ Argument

Prosecution counsel, Deborah Ademu-Eteh, urged the court to convict and sentence the duo accordingly. However, defense counsels D.A. Oladejo and Patrick A. Wilson pleaded for leniency, emphasizing that their clients had shown remorse for their actions.

Sentencing and Seizure of Assets

In his ruling, Justice Obiozor sentenced Obazee and Ibadin to two years’ imprisonment each with an option to pay a fine of Two Million Naira. The court also ordered the seizure and forfeiture of N6, 957,124 remaining in Obazee’s account to the Federal Government of Nigeria, executing the order through the EFCC.

Background: A Letter from the Paris Court of Appeal

The EFCC investigation preceded a letter from the Director of the Anti-Transnational Organized Crime Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, detailing the money laundering and human trafficking activities of Osifo and Chikwubuzor, the orchestrators behind this scam, based in Europe.

Activities of Osifo and Chikwubuzor

Osifo and Chikwubuzor were involved in recruiting, exploiting, and deceiving unsuspecting Nigerian girls to Europe for prostitution and aggravated pimping while receiving a 10% commission for each money transfer between Europe and Nigeria. Their heinous crimes led to convictions and imprisonment in France, where they received various jail terms and fines for money laundering, human trafficking, and contributing to modern-day slavery.