Siblings, 15 others bag jail terms for Internet fraud in Benin City
29 September 2023 |
3:04 am
Two brothers, Ochuko Godfrey and Ochuko Prosper, and 14 others were on Tuesday, September 26, convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State.
Two brothers, Ochuko Godfrey and Ochuko Prosper, and 14 others were on Tuesday, September 26, convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State.
The others are Prosper Enahoro, Ogheneoma Udolu, Raymond Edise, Akai Philip Onochie, Osayi Kennedy Obaseki, Joshua Ngerem, Oghogho Marvelous Ekpuke, Stanley David, Jackson Shebenor, Felix Orevaoghene Emmanuel, Gideon Onaiwu, Johnson Godspower Oghenevwegba, Godspower Emmanuel Jerimaiah, and Felix Wada.
The convicts were arraigned separately on one-count charge of impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They were arrested by operatives of the Commission based on actionable intelligence on their alleged internet fraud-related activities. Upon investigation, the convicts were discovered to be involved in different variants of internet fraud. For instance, Ochuko Godfrey impersonated one Richard Williams and Antonio Matthew in his attempt to defraud unsuspecting victims.
Upon their arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, F.A. Jirbo, I.M Elodi, I.K Agwai, A. A. Ibrahim, I. Faisal and AS Bala- Riba to pray for court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Consequently, Justice Ikponmwonba convicted and sentenced Udolu, Idise, Ngerem, Emmanuel, Jeremiah, and Onaiwu to three years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.
The duo of Enahoro and David bagged three years imprisonment with an option of N500,000. Shebenor, Ekpuke, Prosper, Godfrey, Wada and Oghenevwegba bagged three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. Onochie was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of N400,000, while Obaseki was sentenced to three years imprisonment or a fine of N100,000.
The judge ordered the forfeiture of the convicts’ mobile phones, one HP Laptop and the balance in their bank accounts, being proceeds of crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The court further ordered that the bank accounts be closed. In a similar development, Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, had convicted and sentenced Anah Trust Avwerosuo to two years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000, for his involvement in internet fraud. Avwerosuo had impersonated Henri-alva-rezi, an American, to defraud his victims.
Related
1 day ago
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration is expending N39 billion on the rehabilitation of the Abuja International Conference Centre. Wike disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, when he inspected the ongoing renovation of the centre being executed by Julius Berger. The minister recalled that President Bola…
2 days ago
A former chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area in Kaduna State, Nasara Rabo, has countered allegations of underperformance against the Minister of Environment, Mal. Balarabe Abbas Lawal, saying that the minister ranks top among those in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Government. Rabo was responding to calls for the minister's removal by the former National Youth…
2 days ago
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has disclosed that the ongoing power outages affecting more than 20 areas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are due to a technical fault in the feeder that supplies electricity to these areas. The affected areas include Jabi, Kado, Life Camp, Idu, Karmo, Citec Mbora, Airport Road, Nile University,…
8 Mar
Amidst growing concerns over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa West has taken a proactive step in seeking a resolution. Following the contentious decision that saw Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan suspended for six months, Senator Dickson has positioned himself as a mediator, advocating for a reconsideration of the…
8 Mar
Hajia Nike AbdulRahman, National Convener of Women Advocacy for Good Governance and a Cultural and Heritage Value Advocate, has condemned the suspension of Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate following her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President, Sen.…
8 Mar
The federal government has commenced training 162 Immigration officers to handle the new E-visa applications initiative of the President Bola Tinubu administration. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training at NIS headquarters in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, noted that the Tinubu administration is committed to building a more…
6 Mar
The fourteenth prosecution witness who was called to testify against Saleh Mamman in court, Mohammed Ashelk Jidda, has revealed that the former power minister paid him dollars in cash for an Abuja property. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Mamman for conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 in…
5 Mar
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON) has described the sexual harassment allegation against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as a calculated political attack aimed at removing Akpabio as Senate President. Speaking at a world press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Segun Okeowo, COCSON Director, described the…
5 Mar
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has dismissed the sexual harassment allegations made by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling them part of a politically motivated scheme by opposition parties. The Forum further warned that the protests calling for Akpabio’s resignation were part of a broader effort to destabilise…
4 Mar
The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) is planning to introduce the Nigerian Public Sector Governance Code to enhance trust, boost efficiency, and curb corruption in the public sector. At a stakeholder engagement and consultation on the draft exposure document on the Nigeria Public Sector Governance Code in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of…
×
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.