A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja Lagos, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, convicted and sentenced one Mohammed Gobir to seven years imprisonment for N300m fraud.
The Justice R.I.B. Adeniyi court sentenced Mohammed Gobir to prison following a ruling in a case brought to it by the EFCC.
He was arraigned on March 17, 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 17-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretence, stealing, possession of fraudulent documents and forgery.
His journey to prison began after he was arrested by the operatives of EFCC at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence on September 12, 2015, following a petition received by the Commission from an outdoor advertising company, Afromedia.
Gobir, according to the petitioner, was introduced to the Company by its private placement consultants, Synergy Capital Advisory Limited, sometime in 2008.
He, thereafter, offered to invest the sum of N1billion in Afromedia, a pretext that earned him a position as Chairman, Business Development Committee, on the Board of Directors.
Investigation revealed that Gobir, having earned the trust of the company’s Board, defrauded the company of several millions in hard currency.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, thereby leading to his full trial.
During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, called four witnesses and tendered several documents that were admitted in evidence against the defendant. The defence counsel, Y.B. Bayero called three witnesses.
A statement by EFCC’s head, media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated the while delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Adebiyi convicted and sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment on count 1 of obtaining under false pretence; counts four and five of stealing and counts 8, 11, 14 & 17 of possession of fraudulent documents.
He was sentenced to six months imprisonment on counts four and five of stealing.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
The Judge ordered the convict to pay restitution of $1 million USD and ₦123 million for the convictions on counts four and five for stealing.
The restitution is to be paid to the nominal complainant.
The court, however, discharged him on the counts of forgery and being in possession of forged documents.
