EFCC Secures Conviction Of 3 Internet Fraudsters In Akwa Ibom

The Federal High Court, Uyo, presided over by Justice Justice Maurin Oyetenu has sentenced three persons to various jail terms for internet fraud.

The sentences followed their guilty plea to separate charges bordering on internet fraud upon their arraignments by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Those convicted include Emmanuel Okwa, Felix Akaninyene Tom and Ubok Ubong Edet.

Okwa, who is popularly known as Jennifer Aniston was accused of fraudulently presented himself as Jennifer Aniston on the social media sometime in 2024, with intent to possess $1,500.

This, the charged said was “knowing that the money formed part of the proceed of an unlawful act to wit; cyber impersonation and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them, prompting the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, to review the facts of the case and prayed the Court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

However, defence counsels, Sampson Awuje, Metti Monday Ukpeh and Nyebu Johnson, prayed the court for lesser sentences for the defendants.

After listening to the prosecution and the defence lawyers, Justice Oyetenu convicted the trio and sentenced them accordingly.

Okwa was slammed with a one-year imprisonment with an option to pay N2 million fine, while he was also ordered to forfeit his iPhone and Samsung mobile phones to the federal government.

For their part, Akaniyene Tom and Edet, were each sentenced to six months jail terms with a fine of N500,000 each.

The convicts were ordered to forfeit two phones, Techno Camo 18 Spark and Techno Pro – 10 Spark, which must be sold and the proceeds deposited in the EFCC’s Proceeds of Crime Account.