Courts Jail Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin, Abuja
Two Internet Fraudsters Jailed in Ilorin
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Ilorin Zonal Office on Thursday, July 25, 2019 secured the conviction of two internet fraudsters brought before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of a Kwara State High Court.
The convicts, Muhammed Faruk and Abolarin Ridwan were arrested by operatives of the Commission on February 11, 2019 at the Irewolede area of Ilorin, following intelligence report.
Based on the weight of evidence gathered against them, they both opted to enter a plea bargain with the prosecution, prompting the amendment of the charge against them.
The charge against Faruk reads: “That you, Muhammed Umar Faruk (alias Morgan Chase, Lina Swagger, Gina Crytal, Jeff Brad, Felicia Gonzales, Chase Big) sometime in February 2019, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court did attempt to cheat by impersonation, when you pretended to be one Chase Morgan a white male with gmail account morgachase102@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code.”
The amended charge against Gbolahan reads: “That you, Abolarin Ridwan Gbolahan (alias Frank Sinatra) sometime in February 2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did attempt to cheat by impersonation, when you pretended to be one Frank Sinatra a white male with gmail account talktosinistra@gmail.com, and hereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code.”
They each pleaded “guilty” to the charges against them.
Delivering judgment, Justice Oyinloye held that: “This honourable Court agreed with the submission of the prosecution counsel, Sesan Ola, that the anti-graft body has proved the ingredients of attempt to cheat against the defendants.
“This court convicts the defendants as charged and they are sentenced to one year imprisonment from 11th of February 2019 and to also forfeit to the Federal Government their phones.”
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
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Four Internet Fraudsters Jailed in Abuja
Justice Muawiyah Idris of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, sitting in Nyanya on Thursday, July 25, 2019 sentenced four internet fraudsters popularly known as yahoo-yahoo boys to different jail terms.
Those sentenced include, Chinaka Chijoke, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, Okafor Divine, Kelvin John and Tunde Azeez.
They had pleaded “guilty” on July 22, 2019 to separate charges bordering on cheating, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, which are offences that run contrary to Sections 321, 320(a) and Section 95 and 322 of the Panel Code Law of Northern Nigeria 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law, and were convicted accordingly.
At the time of arraignment, both the prosecution and defence, informed the court of a plea bargain agreement, which was duly signed by both parties and urged the court to convict and sentence them in line with the agreement.
However, delivering judgement, Justice Idris held that the court was not bound by the plea bargain agreement according to Section 2709(11) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA 2015 and therefore, sentenced Chinaka to four years in prison, while Okafor, Kelvin and Azeez were sentenced to three years in prison.
They were all ordered to forfeit the car, laptops and mobile phones recovered from them to the relevant authority.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
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Five Plead Guilty to Internet Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on July 25, 2019 arraigned five internet fraudsters before Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
They include, Efe Obed, Igwe Ajoku, Ifeanyi Godwin, Solomon Chimaobi and Egekone Emeka.
They were charged with different counts bordering on cheating and impersonation, offences contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Penal Code, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same Act.
Based on the weight of evidence gathered against them, they all opted to enter a plea bargain with the prosecution.
Subsequently, they pleaded “guilty” to the charges filed against them.
The prosecution further confirmed to the court the plea bargain agreement with the defence, which was duly signed by both parties, and urged the court to convict and sentence them based on the terms of the agreement entered.
Justice Maha, however, asked the counsel to bring the receipt of the transaction and other necessary document for proper record keeping.
Counsel for the EFCC, Maryam Ahmed, also applied for a date to review the facts of the cases as requested by the judge.
The trial judge, thereafter, adjourned to August 2, 5, and 6, 2019 and ordered that Godwin, Egekone, and Obed should be remanded in prison, while Ajoku and Chimaobi should be remanded in EFCC custody.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
