Two pastors,Glory Okeoghene Aberefa and Vincent Okpogo were at the weekend sentenced to 16 and 10years imprisonment by a High Court in Otor-udu in Delta State, presided over by Justice Florence Azinge.
The convicts, including their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited,were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, and under the guise of running a financial institution, the accused defrauded unsuspecting members of the public of millions of naira..
The pastors were arraigned on 16 count charges of conspiracy to steal and stealing contrary to Section 516 and 390(9) of the criminal code,Cap 21,vol1 laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.
They were said to have pleaded not guilty to the charges as the EFCC legal team members, Vincent Agbaje and Kenneth Udus,had acted on a petition which fingered them in the stealing of the sum of N32.516,620.., The first defendant, pastor Aberefa was sentenced to one year imprisonment on each of the 16 count while the second defendant, Okpogo was handed one year imprisonment each on count seven to 16.
The convicts were earlier jailed 17years by a Federal High Court in Asaba and Warri,, while they will serve a new sentence which Justice Azinge said would take effect after completion of the 17years imprisonment.
