Nigerian national gets three years rigorous imprisonment for duping Puducherry woman of Rs 36 lakh

PUDUCHERRY: Chief judicial magistrate E M K Yashwanthrao Ingersol sentenced a Nigerian national to six jail terms, each three years of rigorous imprisonment, for impersonation and duping a Puducherry woman of Rs 36 lakh after promising a job in the United Kingdom. All the six three-year rigorous jail terms will run concurrently.

The magistrate directed the Nigerian, identified as Reuben Goodnews Nnaemeka, 28, to pay Rs 10 lakh to the woman within three months and instructed the police to initiate legal action if he fails to do so within the stipulated time frame. The magistrate imposed penalties totalling Rs 32,000 on him. He directed the officials concerned to deport the Nigerian to his country after he completes his jail term as his visa expired and he possesses a fake passport.

The magistrate, however, acquitted the other two accused in the case – an Ugandan woman identified as Namale Prossy, 26, and a man from Bengaluru, Karnataka, identified as M Rajesh, 25, as the charges against them were not proved. He directed the officials to deport the Ugandan woman to her country as her visa expired.

According to the assistant public prosecutor S Lokkeshvaran, Reuben impersonated the British deputy high commissioner and approached the Puducherry woman, promising her a job as a system engineer in London with a salary of 6,700 pounds per month. He directed her to transfer money for arranging a visa, obtaining police permission, notary declaration, medical and fitness certificates, among others, to process her application.

The woman sent Rs 36 lakh in several instalments from her bank account and bank accounts of her mother and brother during Oct-Nov, 2022. She did not get any response from the man and realised that she had been duped. She lodged a complaint with the Puducherry CB-CID in Dec 2022.