Convicted and sentenced by Justice F. N. Azinge of the Delta State High Court sitting in Otor-Udu, Pastor Glory Okeoghene Aberefa and Reverend Vincent Okpogo received imprisonment terms of 16 and 10 years respectively for allegedly stealing N32m.
According to a statement from the EFCC, the duo, along with their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited, faced prosecution by the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 16-count charges related to conspiracy to steal and stealing, contrary to Section 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, CAP 21, Vol 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.
Upon their arraignment on June 19, 2017, they pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
The EFCC legal team of V. O. Agbaje and K. U. Udus initiated their trial following a petition and investigation that implicated them in the theft of N32,516,620.00 (Thirty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty Naira).
Pastor Aberefa, the first defendant, received a one-year imprisonment term for each of the 16 counts, while Reverend Okpogo, the second defendant, was sentenced to one year imprisonment for each of counts seven to 16, all to run consecutively.
Despite already serving 17 years in prison from earlier convictions by the Federal High Court, Asaba, and Delta State High Court, Warri, in Delta State, the convicts will now serve a new sentence imposed by Justice Azinge, to take effect after completing the existing 17 years.
Their legal issues began when, under the guise of operating a finance company, they deceived numerous unsuspecting members of the public, defrauding them of millions of naira through their fraudulent Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited.