Two jailed for Internet fraud in Abuja

Glory Ebomah

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command on June 26, 2023, secured the conviction of one Adegbayi Tunde Yusuf.

He was prosecuted on one count of fraud before Justice A.Y. Shafa of the FCT High Court Gwagwalada-Abuja.

The charge reads, “that you, Adegbayi Tunde Yusuf sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court committed the offence of cheating by personation when you pretended to be one Fillipo Marrazzo, an Italian citizen which you were not, created a fake Facebook account and benefitted the sum of $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars) from your victim, Sonia Marina, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004”.

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

Following his plea, Justice Shafa convicted and sentenced Adegbayi to one-month imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. Justice Shafa further ruled that the iPhone which he used to commit the crime be burnt at the court premises.

Similarly, Justice Shafa also convicted one Emmanuel Ikenna Ogu after he pleaded guilty to one count charge of fraud.

Ogu’s charge reads “that you Emmanuel Ikenna Ogu sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory attempted to cheat by impersonation when you created a Snapchat profile with the name Jayden Fields, a soldier with the United States of America Army with the aim to commit an offence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of the Federation, Abuja 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law”.

Justice Shafa sentenced Ogu to two weeks in prison or an option of a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred thousand Naira Only). His iPhone is also to be burnt on the court premises.