The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has sentenced ten people to various jail terms on one count separate charges bordering on internet fraud.
The defendants who were prosecuted by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are Ikyegh Senenge Bobo, Anum Cyprian Sesugh, Boniface Udoo Aondofa, Utor Stanley Torkuma, Obande Emmanuel, James Ekere, Tony Ochekwu Moda, Ochaje James, Shadrach Ugbu Aondona, and Odumu Michael.
According to a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on Friday, September 15, 2023, the convicts were arrested at different locations in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, for alleged involvement in cybercrime.
Uwujaren said the investigation revealed that the internet fraudsters assumed different identities to lure unsuspecting persons into phony social relationships with a view to defrauding them.
Some of the charges read: “That you, Ikyegh Senenge Bobo ‘M’ sometime between December, 2022 to May, 2023 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, sent an electronic message to one Daniella Alias Nagako, a female Japanese citizen based in the United States of America vide an Online App where you disguise yourself as a male citizen of Texas, United States of America with the name Nakamora by procuring Apple iTunes Cards valued at N5,662,200.00 from her and converted the proceeds into your Opay Limited wallet, Ikyegh Msendoo Mercy’s GT and Keystone Bank accounts respectively and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under same Section of the Act.
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“That you, Obande Emmanuel ‘M’ (22 years) sometime between March and April, 2022 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained the sum of $1000 USD from unsuspecting foreign nationals by using Instagram account “taratwithdephina” through which you claimed to be a fortune teller offering consultancy and palm reading service to help them succeed in life and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (1) (iv) of the Act.”
They all pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
However, the presiding judge, Justice O. A. Egwuatu, on Thursday, September 14, convicted and sentenced Senenge to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000.
He was ordered to forfeit an iPhone 13 Pro, Pontiac Vibe 2009 model car, and two plots of land situated alongside Gboko Road, Phase 1, Makurdi to the Federal Government.
Cyprian bagged one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000. He also forfeited an iPhone 11 Pro Max to the Federal Government.
Aondofa was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000. and forfeited an iPhone 7 to the Federal Government.
Stanley was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000 and forfeited an iPhone to the Federal Government.
He was also ordered to pay N97,900 in restitution to the victim.
Emmanuel was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine and forfeited an iPhone 14 Pro Max to the Federal Government, while James bagged one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000.
Ochekwu and Ochaje were sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N1 million and N500,000 fine, respectively.
While Ochekwu is to forfeit iPhone 3 and iPhone 8, Ochaje was ordered to forfeit one iPhone 6 and one Hp laptop to the Federal Government.
Shadrach and Michael bagged one year imprisonment with option of fine of N300,000 and N200,000.
Shadrach was also ordered to forfeit an iPhone XR to the Federal Government.
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