N2.9 billion fraud: George Turnah, Jonathan’s godson, and two others are imprisoned

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has found and sentenced George Turnah, a former Special Adviser to the previous Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dan Abia.

Turnah, a Goodluck Jonathan political godson, was given a six-year prison term for defrauding people out of their money along with two other defendants.

Aside from Turnah, two other people have received sentences: Ebis Orubebe and Uzorgor Chidebere.

They were also found guilty of forgery, fund conversion, and money laundering by the presiding judge, Justice A. T. Mohammed.

Their violations of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006’s Section 1(1)(a) and Section 1(3) made them subject to punishment.

They were initially charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in May 2017, and they were re-charged on January 25, 2021.

They were charged with 23 counts involving N2,894,500,000 in money laundering, abuse of office, and acquiring under false pretence.

Through Wilson Uwujaren, the EECC’s spokesman, this was confirmed on Monday.

They were imprisoned on September 7, 2023, after being found guilty of the allegations brought against them by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, according to Uwujaren’s statement.

They entered a “not guilty” plea to the allegations, according to the statement.