‘Yahoo boy’ bags 12 months jail term

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, convicted and sentenced an internet fraudster, popularly called ‘Yahoo Boy’, Lekan Bibire Usman, to 12 months imprisonment.

The judge convicted him following his guilty plea to a count charge of fraudulent impersonation brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The prosecuting counsel, Sulaiman Sulaiman, had on April 4, told the court that Usman impersonated one Christopher Karmond by using the name on his Google account.

The prosecutor said that the convict used the said name with an intent to gain advantage for himself. He said offence contravened Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.

When the charge was read to the convict, he pleaded guilty and the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly in line with the relevant section of the law that he was charged.

However, the convict’s counsel, pleaded for mercy and told the court that he is remorseful, promised not to go back to the crime if given a second chance. 

He also pleaded with the court to give him an option of fine in lieu of the custodian sentence. However, Justice Aneke, sentenced the convict to 12 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay N1 million in lieu of the jail term.