Court jails six Internet fraudsters in Makurdi

Glory Ebomah

The Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, July 6, 2023, secured the conviction of six fraudsters before Justice Abdul Dogo of a Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State.

The convicts are Odumu Emmanuel, Audu Abdulgafar Idowu, Ikwe Daniel Adawu, Benedict Udochukwu Ezeokole, Clement David Onoja and Lawrence Ndubisi.

They were convicted for fraudulent impersonation, contrary to section 22(2)(b)(i) and (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 and sentenced to various jail terms, after pleading guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Odumu was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of a One Million Naira fine and will forfeit his iPhone and laptops to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Audu was sentenced to one-year imprisonment with an option of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.

Ikwe bagged three years imprisonment with an option of N2 million Naira fine.

Benedict was sentenced to one-year imprisonment with an option of N1 million fine.  He is also to forfeit a Lexus 330 car, 2 laptops, an iPhone 13 Pro Max and an iPhone 7 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Clement was sentenced to one-year imprisonment with an option of a One million Naira fine. He also forfeits an iPhone 11 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Lawrence was sentenced to one-year imprisonment with an option of a One Million Naira fine. He was ordered to forfeit an iPhone 12 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The charge against Odumu Emmanuel read: “That you Odumu Emmanuel ‘m’ (24 years) between October 2022 and January 2023 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court,  fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be Jawarska Malina and Miguel Alenjandra, the United  State of America females and using their unique identification details to register for Appen social security program and obtained the sum of $3, 600.00 (Three Thousand and Six Hundred Dollars), received in your Gpay foreign online platform account,  which you converted and transferred to your Stanbic IBTC Bank Account No. 0025110646 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under subsection 22(2) of the same Act.”