Recharge Card Scam: Fraudster Bags 35 Years Jail Term
Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on Wednesday February 26, 2014 convicted and sentenced one Ibiba Jack to thirty five years 
imprisonment without an option of fine.
The convict was found guilty on all of the 5-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on each of the counts. The jail term is however to run concurrently. Justice Aikawa also ordered that the convict should return the sum of N14, 795,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety Five Thousand Naira) in restitution to the victim.
Jack was arrested and arraigned in 2008 by the EFCC following a petition by a company, Multitek Data System Limited, a distributor of telecommunication recharge cards and accessories. The company alleged that Jack fraudulently obtained MTN recharge cards at different times to the tune of N23, 475.000.00 (Twenty Three Million Four Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira) from it, purportedly on behalf of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. The convict allegedly reneged on the agreement to make payment every two weeks from date of delivery to SDPC off-shore location but sold the cards without paying the company. When the complainant persisted in demanding payment from the convict, Jack issued two Intercontinental bank cheques for N14, 795.000.00 and N6, 000.00 which were returned unpaid due to insufficient fund in his account.