By Nkechi Eze
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, June 5, 2026, sentenced one Chukwuemeka Udezuka to 12 years’ imprisonment for stealing a total sum of ₦64,060,000.
According to an official signed statement by the Head, Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, the conviction followed the court’s finding that the defendant was guilty on a four-count charge bordering on stealing, filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the anti-graft agency.
Udezuka, alongside his company, Mezu Connection Investment Limited, was accused of obtaining funds from four victims under the false pretext of assisting them to convert naira to United States dollars at the Central Bank of Nigeria official exchange rate. The prosecution alleged that after receiving the monies, the defendant disappeared and became unreachable, thereby depriving the victims of their funds.
He was arraigned on January 31, 2024, on charges brought under Sections 278 and 285(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. One of the counts stated that the defendant dishonestly converted ₦28,000,000 belonging to one of the victims, while another count alleged the diversion of ₦17,360,000 belonging to another complainant.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including the defendant’s extra-judicial statements, bank correspondence, and account records, all of which were admitted in evidence by the court. The prosecution maintained that the evidence established the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution had successfully proved its case, describing the defendant’s conduct as premeditated and deserving of punishment. The court subsequently sentenced Udezuka to three years’ imprisonment on each of the four counts, with the sentences to run consecutively, bringing the total to 12 years.
The court also ordered the convict to make full restitution to all four victims from the date of judgment and to file an affidavit of compliance within 90 days. In addition, Mezu Connection Investment Limited was fined ₦500,000 on each of the four counts. During allocutus, the convict pleaded for leniency and expressed remorse, but the court held that the gravity of the offence warranted custodial punishment.
