Court jails three for Internet fraud in Kaduna

Justice A. Bello of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced the trio of Saadu Salisu, Omoruyi Osavbie (aka Antonio Hendo Henderson) and Daniel Japheth (aka Cain Steven) to various jail terms for internet fraud.

The convicts were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one-count separate charges. While Osavbie and Japheth’s charges bordered on impersonation and cheating, that of Salisu bordered on obtaining by false pretence and cheating.

Salisu’s charge read: “That you Sa’adu Salisu and Ihasas Ventures Nigeria Limited on or about the 1st of March,2021 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, cheated and dishonestly induced one Adamu Bakori to part with the sum of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) with the promise to secure a job for him and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 311 of the Kaduna State penal Code Law, 2017.”

Osavbie’s charge read: “That you, Omoruyi Osavbie (aka Antonio Hendo Henderson) sometime in May 2024, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, represented yourself as one Antonio Hendo Henderson (A military personnel in the United States of America) on Facebook (an online social media platform) and in such assumed identity, cheated unsuspecting victims the total sum of N87,000 (Eighty Seven Thousand Naira) , and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law,2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”

Each of the three defendants pleaded “guilty” to their charges when they were read to him, prompting prosecution counsel M. Arumemi and M. Lawal to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, in a statement to newsmen on Wednesday, 10 July 2024, noted that Justice Bello, afterwards, convicted and sentenced Salisu to three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira). In addition, he forfeited N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira), being the proceeds of crime to the federal government.

Japheth bagged four years imprisonment or a fine of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira). Additionally, he forfeited the sum of £75.00 (Seventy-five British pounds), being proceeds of the crime and his iPhone 11 mobile phone to the federal government, while Omoruyi was sentenced to seven years imprisonment or a fine of N450,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

In addition, he forfeited the sum of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira), being proceeds of his crime and his iPhone X max to the federal government. Salisu’s journey to prison began when his victim petitioned the Commission, alleging that he convinced him in May 2021 that he could secure a job for him in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and later demanded the sum of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) from him for the job placement, which he paid into the convict’s bank account but neither got the job nor his money back.