EFCC convicts nine for internet fraud in Kaduna

A Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced nine individuals to varying prison terms or substantial fines for their involvement in internet fraud and impersonation.

The accused, who were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were found guilty of using deceptive online personas to defraud victims through platforms like Snapchat and Facebook.

The nine convicts, identified as Yaya Babatunde (a.k.a. Kay Lenea), Sule Onyegefu Isaac, Alaba Peter (a.k.a. Mane Julia), Obedient Charles (a.k.a. Paul Cravey), Isaac Henry, Muhammad Adam Muhammed (a.k.a. Hannah Alesia Boltz), Richie Olagunju Bolaji Waris (a.k.a. Gina Mclaurin), John Nanyak Peter Haruna (a.k.a. Anna Moon), and Frank Phillip Praise (a.k.a. Brown Jamal), were sentenced after pleading guilty to charges related to impersonation, cheating, and internet fraud.

The fraud schemes typically involved the accused assuming false identities—such as foreign nationals or military personnel—to defraud individuals of significant sums.

Haruna, for instance, posed as a woman living in Saudi Arabia on Snapchat and swindled $200 from a victim, while Praise assumed the identity of a US military officer on Facebook, defrauding a person of $400.

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In handing down their sentences, the court imposed a range of penalties. Haruna and Praise were each sentenced to three years in prison, with the option of paying fines of N500,000 and N600,000, respectively.

In addition to these fines, both forfeited high-end items—including iPhones and luxury cars—linked to their fraudulent activities.

Other convicts faced similar sentences, including Waris and Isaac, who were each given three years’ imprisonment or a fine of N600,000, with additional forfeitures of electronics and cash.

Charles, Babatunde, and Peter were handed two-year sentences or fines of N500,000, with various items, including phones and jewellery, forfeited as restitution to victims.

The EFCC’s Kaduna Zonal Command had gathered intelligence leading to the arrests of the suspects, who were apprehended in the Kamazo, Karji, and Gonin Gora areas of the state.

The court’s ruling has sent a strong message against online fraud, with authorities reaffirming their commitment to combatting cybercrime across the country.

The convicts were ordered to restitute the stolen sums to their victims, ensuring that some financial reparations were made in addition to their legal punishments.