Court jails Internet fraudster two years in Port Harcourt

Glory Ebomah

Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced an internet fraudster, Austine Famaa to two years imprisonment for impersonation.

Famaa was jailed on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, after pleading “guilty” to two counts preferred against him by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Austine Famaa, sometime in June 2022, at Ada-George and Choba axes of Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained from one Jane Doe the sum of One Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety-One Dollars Ninety-Three Cents ($ 1,391.93) under the false pretence that you are a Bitcoin and Crypto Currency International Trader which pretence you knew to be false with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

He pleaded guilty to the charge. In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, U.I. Nwokorie prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

Counsel to the defendant, D.O. Kelly prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendant was a first-time offender.  

Justice Obile convicted and sentenced the defendant to one-year imprisonment on each of the counts, with One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000.00) as the option of fine payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The judge also ordered that one iPhone 8+, one Samsung Smart Phone, one iPhone 6s, and one Hisense TV, recovered from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.