Abuja court jails five Internet fraudsters

• Man bags six-month community service for $300 internet fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abuja Zonal Directorate, on August 12, secured the conviction and sentencing of five internet fraudsters.

They were jailed by Justice C.O. Agashieze of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on a one-count separate charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence.

The convicts are Desmond Ikpefua, Oyeniji Efosa Temitope, Exiobor Raphael, Emmanuel Gabriel and Samuel Owoicho.

They all pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them. Prosecution Counsel M.U. Shariff prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Agashieze convicted and sentenced Ikpefua and Temitope to six and four months imprisonment, respectively, with no fine option. Raphael was given a non-custodial sentence to clean the police station in his Orozo axis for two hours every day for six months. He was also fined N50,000. Gabriel and Owoicho were fined N50,000, while the latter will additionally sweep the Maitama police station for 30 days.

Justice Agashieze further ruled that all instruments used to perpetrate the crimes should be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Similarly, an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan yesterday sentenced a 25-year-old man, Paul Uche, to six months of community service for $300 internet fraud.

The convict was said to have impersonated one Pachell Michel to defraud one Becky Janse from Michigan, USA, of $300.

Justice S.O. Adeyemi sentenced the convict after adopting the plea bargain agreement signed by him (the convict) and brought to the court by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr F. Adewumi.

The convict pleaded guilty to the one-count charge and informed the court that he used to assist his father in selling clothes in his shop but started engaging in internet fraud in 2023.

“I understand the plea bargain agreement and was not forced to sign it. I understand the implication of what is contained in the agreement; it is a one-year imprisonment,” Uche told the court.

The convict’s counsel, Mr T.P. Oyeniran, informed the court that his client was a first-time offender and that he was highly remorseful.
Oyeniran said Uche had learnt his lesson hard and promised not to commit the crime again.

He urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence instead of a one-year sentence.

In his submission, the EFCC counsel informed the court that the convict had been in custody for nine days and had no record of previous conviction.

The judge then sentenced the convict to a custodial sentence of six months.

She ordered the forfeiture of the money found in possession of the convict to his victim through the EFCC and the public auction of his iPhone.

Adeyemi further ordered that the proceeds of the iPhone be forfeited to the Federal Government.

In another judgment, the court sentenced two other internet fraudsters to community service, ranging from three months to six months.

The convicts, Ogunyemi Gbolahan and Samuel Oluwatobi, had defrauded their victims of $50 and $200.