Edo court jails 11 for internet fraud

Eleven internet fraudsters have been sentenced to jail by Justice W.I. Aziegbemhin for their fraudulent activities at the Edo State High Court in Benin City.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted the suspects on separate one-count charges bordering on false pretence, advance fee fraud, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fake documents.

The charge against Efe read: “That you, Justice Samuel Efe (m), on or about the 8th of February, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel F.A. Jirbo, I.K. Agwai, and Salihu Ahmed to ask the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they had become remorseful for their actions.

Justice Aziegbemhin convicted and sentenced Izomor, Efe, and Bright to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each.

Destiny and Arogbo also bagged two years’ imprisonment or a fine of N400,000 each.
Aduwa, Oghosa, Theophilus, Junior Efe, Princewill, Clinton, and Iyobor were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each.

In addition to their sentences, all the convicts forfeited their phones, laptop computers, and sums of money found in their bank accounts to the federal government and undertook in writing to be of good behavior henceforth.

The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began with their arrest in a sting operation by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, following credible intelligence linking them to fraudulent internet activities.