"This offence of obtaining under false pretence is an endemic disease that needs an urgent diagnosis and treatment."

A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday, sentenced a fraudster to 10 years in prison for advance fee fraud.

The convict, Otede Meyeoghene, was prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on three separate charges of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Acts 2006.

The crime is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act, the anti-graft agency stated in a statement posted on Twitter.

According to the commission, the convict, in 2015 in Warri, Delta State, defrauded and induced Eyinoloma Demeyin (complainant) to deposit the sum of N2,000,000 into his account under false pretence that the money was for investment in a waste management contract with Rivers State Government.

The convict, the commission said, promised Mr Demeyin a daily dividend of N25,000 as a return on investment which he (the convict) knew was false.

Delivering judgment on the matter, the Judge, Okon Abang, said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore convicted Mr Meyeoghene on the three charges.

"This offence of obtaining under false pretence is an endemic disease that needs an urgent diagnosis and treatment, and it is important to put a punitive sentence that would serve as a deterrent to others," Justice Abang stated.

The judge sentenced Mr Meyeoghene to 10 years on each of the three charges without an option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Justice Abang further ordered the convict to return the nominal complainant the outstanding sum of N2,095,000 with 21 per cent interest per annum from 2015 until fully liquidated.

The anti-corruption agency said the convict in 2015 got N2.5 million from Mr Demeyin on the pretext that he was investing it to purchase a truck for waste management in Rivers State.

Mr Demeyin told the commission that he did not hear from the convict again after making the payment and all efforts to recover his money were fruitless.