Court Convicts 15 Internet Fraudsters In Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of 15 internet fraudsters in Abuja.

Justice O. I. Adelaja of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Kubwa, convicted and sentenced the internet fraudsters to various jail terms.

The convicts are: Emmanuel Ndubuisi Junior, Obinna Favour, Azuh Chidubem, Christopher Enaho, Abdullahi Sani, Atoyebi Damilare James, Chinonso Peter and Israel Samuel. Others are Matthew Gideon, Eugene Joseph Boniface and Derick Beshel. The rest are:  Suleiman Dauda, Aliu Dauda, Ikechukwu Idris and Godwin Ifeanyi.

One of the charges read: “that you Emmanuel Ndubuisi Junior aka Daniel Howard sometime in 2021 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by personation when you misrepresented yourself to be one Daniel Howard a citizen of Brazil and a crypto investment manager on Gmail address [email protected] with intent to defraud whereby you obtained the sum of $7,800 from one Sophia and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) Cap 532, LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.”

They all pleaded guilty to the one-count charge preferred against them.

Based on their pleas, Justice Adelaja convicted and sentenced Junior to one-year jail term or an option of fine of N2m. He also forfeited $7,800 to the Federal government while Favour bagged one-year jail term or an option of fine of one million naira. Chidubem also bagged one-year jail term with an option of fine of One Million Naira while  Ifeanyi bagged one-year jail term or a fine of N500,000.

Other convicts had non-custodial sentencing of diverse hours of Community Service to be supervised by officers of the Correctional Service. All convicts are also to forfeit their phones to the Federal Government.