Internet fraudsters have continued their criminal activities across the country in spite of the intensification of crackdown by anti-graft agencies.
There has been a spike in the activities of internet scams with some concerned Nigerians especially within the security agencies canvassing stiffer penalties for the culprits, arguing that the imposition of fines as an option for court sentences, does not deter the culprits.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured over 20 convictions last week as captured in the reports below:
Adamawa courts jail twelve internet fraudsters
Justices Kayanson Samuel Lawanson, Hammed Isha , Benjamin Manji Lawal and Mohammed Ibrahim Tola of the Adamawa State High Court, Adamawa State have convicted and sentenced twelve internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts are: Oladele Pius, Emmanuel Bulus , Elijah Elisha , Alamin Mohammed Bappa , Jamilu Usman ,and Enoch Solomon
Others are : Emmanuel Anthony, Enebeli Samuel Isreal , Dimas Hyellabulatin, Emmanuel Dike , Joshua Umoru and Dan Eden Sunday ..
They were separately arraigned between November 6 and 7, 2024 on a one count charge of cheating and impersonation by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
The charge against Alamin Muhammad Bappa reads: “Alamin Muhammad Bappa sometimes in September, 2024 at Sangere area of Modibo Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud one Amity Shane and other unsuspecting foreign nationals, created some fake Gmail’ and Facebook accounts using the name Jacob sermon to pose as a cybersecurity professional that helps people to recover their compromised or blocked Facebook accounts for a service fee of $20 each and thereby committed an offense of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 314 of Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018 and punishable under Section 315 of the same law”.
The charge against Oladele Pius reads: “ that you Oladele Pius sometimes in September, 2024 in Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being a student of Modibo Adamawa University of Technology Yola, with intent to defraud, did cheat by Impersonation, Having created and operating one Mr. Legit Hassan Abbadin a foreign national with Whatsapp account No. +1 (842) 921332016, through your Your iphone 11 Model No. MWNC2CH/A for ” a virtual funds transactions” with a motive of gaining a financial advantage from other unsuspecting internet users and thereby committed an offense of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 314 of Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018 and punishable under Section 315 of the same law
Upon arraignment , the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, prompting prosecution counsel Saad .H Sa’ad and M.D Aliyu to pray the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly; however, counsels to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy .
Justice Lawanson thereafter convicted and sentenced Bulus , Elisha , Usman and Israel to ten years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) each. However, Hyellabulati bagged five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000
Justice Tola convicted and sentenced Dike , Umoru , Sunday and Pius to five years imprisonment with an option of fine of N2,000,000( Two Million Naira )each
Justice Lawal convicted and sentenced Bappa and Solomon to five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each .
Justice Isha convicted and sentenced Anthony to ten years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000 (Three hundred thousand Naira)
The Judges ruled that the mobile phones recovered during investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria .
In addition, Justice Lawal ordered that the sum of $20 recovered during investigation from Bappa and being proceeds of crime, be returned to the victim.
The convicts were arrested on September 24, 2024 around Modibo Adamawa University of Technology area of Yola, Adamawa State by operatives of the Commission following actionable intelligence linking them with cybercrimes activities. They were charged to court and convicted.
Court jails four internet fraudsters in Cross River
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Calabar has convicted and sentenced the quartet of Itoro Eno Akpan, Abasifreke Uwem, Elisha Asuquo Nnah (a.k.a Jong Seck) and Ezinwa Emmanuel Ikenna to various jail terms for internet fraud.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Uyo Zonal Directorate on two-count charges bordering on cybercrime, money laundering and impersonation.
The charge against Akpan reads: “That you Itoro Eno Akpan, sometime in 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did take possession of the sum of $400 (Four Hundred Dollars) which you reasonably ought to have known forms proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: cybercrime and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
That of Nnah reads: “That you, Elisha Asuquo Nnah (a.k.a Jong Seck) sometime in 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court took possession of $300 (Three Hundred US Dollars) knowing that the money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022”.
They all pled “guilty” when the charges were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Kharmis Mahmud to review the facts of the cases, tendered the statements of the defendants , print out fictitious and misleading information from their communication devices, all of which were admitted in evidence and prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ojukwu convicted and sentenced Akpan and Uwem to one year jail term on each of their two counts, which is to run concurrently. Furthermore, Akpan is to restitute the sum of $400 USD to his victim and Uwem to restitute $200 USD to his. Nnah and Ikenna were convicted and sentenced to two years jail term each on either of the two counts. In addition, Nnah is to restitute the sum of $300 to his victim while Ikenna is to restitute the sum of $800 to his. Furthermore, all their mobile devices are to be auctioned and the proceeds deposited into the federal government’s Treasury Account, while all the restitutions from the convicts would be lodged in the federal government treasury if the victims were not located.
The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet fraud. They were charged to court and convicted.
Internet fraudster, one other jailed for N9.4m scam in Borno
Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri, on Monday, November 18, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Mpada Ishaku Dzarma to nine years imprisonment.
Dzarma was first arraigned on May 4th, 2024 by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering and cybercrime to the tune of N 9,000,000.00 (Nine Million Naira).
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Mpada Ishaku Dzarma between 2023 and 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did directly take possession of aggregate sum of N9,000,000.00 (nine million naira) only into your Access Bank with Account No. 1233383458, Mpada Ishaku Dzarma being the naira equivalent value of the Cash App, Pampay, and Gift Cards denominated in United States of America Dollars which sum you knew or reasonably ought to have known is proceeds of your fraud or form part of an unlawful act to wit: falsely representing yourself to unsuspecting foreign nationals amongst who are; Nils Kaptur with social media account @nilf_kpt, Grace Wamalwa, @ejstorm53 e.t.c as a software engineer based in Holly wood, Texas and could unblock and activate blocked tiktok account and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty, which set the stage for the commencement of trial.
Similarly, at the resumed hearing of the case, the defendant through his counsel H. M Dauda prayed the court to change his plea.
Thereafter, the charge was read to him and he pleaded “guilty” to all the count charges preferred against him by the EFCC.
Justice Dagat thereafter, convicted and sentenced Dzarma on count one to four years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000.00 ( Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) and on count two he was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000.00.
The Judge further ordered the forfeiture of iPhone 14 pro max, Android phone Redmi 4C model, used Toyota Corolla 2008, five pieces of Blink necklace and one blink penchant to the Federal Government of Nigeria that were recovered from him in the course of investigation.
The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested by operatives of Maiduguri’s Zonal Directorate of the EFCC for internet-related offences. He was charged to court and convicted.
In another development, one Amuda Ayuba was arraigned on Monday, November 18, 2024, before Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, on a one-count charge for the offence of Money Laundering to the tune of N 401,006.98 (Four Hundred and One Thousand, Six Naira, Ninety-eight kobo).
The lone count reads: “That you Amuda Ayuba sometime in 2021, in Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst being a POS Operator did accept the transfer of a total sum of N 401,006.98 (Four Hundred and One Thousand, Six Naira, Ninety-eight kobo) into your first and second POS account No. 1040660023 and 1040906053, account name Amuda Ayuba domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc from a customer whose identity you fail to verify and undertake due diligence of the customer before carrying on transaction of electronic money transfer and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1)&(2) and Section 19(1)(F) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against him.
Counsel to the prosecution Faruk Muhammad prayed the court for a trial and date and to remand the defendant in prison custody.
Justice Dagat adjourned for the commencement of trial and remanded the defendant in prison custody.
The defendant’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested by operatives of Maiduguri’s Zonal Directorate of the EFCC for failing to verify and undertake due diligence before carrying on the transaction of electronic money transfer.
