Charles Emmanuel Afaha, a former staff of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, has been sentenced to 100 years in prison. A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday, January 27, gave the sentence over N22 million contract fraud. The convict was arraigned on October 13, 2018 on an eleven-count charge bordering on forgery by the Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Afaha pleaded “not guilty” when he was arraigned, setting the stage for the prosecution to prove its case. The prosecution, through its counsel, T. N. Ndifon called five witnesses and tendered several exhibits which were admitted in evidence. Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Agatha Okeke said that “the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the offence of forgery against the defendant in all the counts”. Afaha was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on each count without an option of fine. The sentencing runs concurrently from the date of arrest. The Court also ordered that the convict shall restitute the sum of N22, 848, 450 to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria which will serve as condition for his release upon the completion of his time in prison.
