Court jails two Internet fraudsters in Maiduguri

Glory Eboma

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, secured the conviction and sentence of two internet fraudsters.

They are Omachile Gabriel (alias Priest Tamara Shane) and Micah Njawindumai (alias Edgar David, Oldmangt, Professional Hacker).

They were jailed by Justice J.K Dagat of the Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri on a one-count separate charge bordering on money laundering.

The count against Gabriel read: “That you, Commander Omachile Gabriel (alias Priests Tamara Shane) with National Identification Number (NIN): 86288294866 on or about the year, 2023 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did directly take possession of sum of about $30.00 (Thirty United State of America Dollars) only being value of multi crypto which you reasonably ought to have known that the funds form part of proceeds of an unlawful act of impersonating Priestess Tamara Shane and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.

Based on their pleas, EFCC Counsel, Faruk Muhammad prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

Justice Dagat thereafter sentenced them to four years imprisonment each.  He ordered that the sum of $30.00 (Thirty United States Dollars) recovered during the investigation be forfeited to the victim through the Federal Government of Nigeria.

All other items recovered from the convicts comprising phones of different brands, laptops and others should also be forfeited to the government.

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for internet-related offences.  They were charged to court and convicted.