An Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced Tobi Paul-Augustine to 18 months in prison for impersonating an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Paul-Augustine pleaded guilty to one count of presenting himself as an officer of the EFCC, a serious offence that undermines public confidence in law enforcement.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, who delivered the judgment, found Paul-Augustine guilty as charged. In his ruling, the judge stressed that impersonating an EFCC operative severely damages trust in the institution, which is crucial for fighting corruption and financial crimes in Nigeria.
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“The actions of the convict severely undermine public confidence in a crucial law enforcement institution,” Justice Oshodi remarked during the sentencing.
He noted that Section 380 of the Criminal Law prescribes a penalty of up to three years for such offences. However, considering that Paul-Augustine had pleaded guilty promptly, cooperated with the authorities, and was a first-time offender, the judge reduced the sentence to 18 months—half the maximum prescribed penalty.
The sentence is set to commence on August 10, 2024, the date Paul-Augustine was remanded in custody.
The court also ordered that various exhibits, including EFCC-branded face caps, jackets, and t-shirts, be destroyed by the EFCC. These items had been recovered from the convict during investigations.
During the trial, the EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Fanen Anun, presented evidence, including testimonies from Mr. Umar Abdulkariri, a witness from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who revealed that the convict had been handed over to the EFCC on August 16, 2024.
Several incriminating items were recovered from Paul-Augustine, including EFCC-branded jackets, a Nigerian Army Special Force face cap, and an Infinix mobile phone.
The prosecution stated that Paul-Augustine’s actions, carried out in August 2024, aimed to gain financial advantage by impersonating an EFCC officer, in violation of Section 380 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
