Court Jails 14 Internet Fraudsters In Calabar and other EFCC Stories
The Uyo Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday, September 28, 2020 secured the conviction of 14 internet fraudsters on separate one count charge before Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River state.
The convicts are; Victor Chikeluba Ogadibo, Unwana Aniefiok Edem, Michael Omos, Emediong Iwoenang, Christian Alvan Okechukwu, Ogbuechi Anderson Ifeanyi and Anozie Chinonso Franklin.
Others are; Clinton Njoku Onyekachi, Princewill Chisom Egerue, Akpodiete Moses, Innocent Samuel Japhet, Ugwuegbu Fredrick Ikenna, Ndulaka Felix Chukwuebuka and Opara Ozioma Daniel.
One of the separate count charges reads: “That you Clinton Njoku Onyekachi (A.K.A Casey Nelson Cooper) on or about the 8th day of August 2020 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently impersonated Casey Nelson Cooper (An American soldier) on social media (Instagram) and defrauded Veronica (An Indonesian) in the sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2000) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) & (b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (b) (iv) of the same Act”.
They pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them.
Delivering judgment, Justice Amobeda convicted and sentenced the defendants as follows; Unwana, Fredrick and Franklin were sentenced to 6 months imprisonment each with an option of fine of N500,000.00; while
Clinton, Anderson, Victor, Felix and Opara bagged 6 months imprisonment each with an option of fine of N200, 000. 00.
The court further ordered that Clinton, Victor and Anderson restitute the sum of $2,000 and $3000 and $200 respectively to their victims through the prosecution.
Princewill and Moses were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment each with an option of fine of N700, 000. 00 while Christian, Michael and Innocent were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment each with an option of fine of N1, 000, 000. 00. Emediong bagged 3months imprisonment with an option of fine of N100, 000, 00.
Also, the convicts are to forfeit instruments used to commit the crime which include their phones, HP laptops, 1 HP Probook and cars to the Federal Government.
While Iwoenang, Okechukwu, Edem and Innocent were arrested at their apartment located at 3 Ring Road, off Shelter Afrique, Uyo on September 9, 2020, others were nabbed during a 3hour raid on September 8, 2020 at Sight and Services within World Bank in Ugwuma town and Road Safety by Toronto Road, Owerri North, Imo state. They were arrested based on intelligence.
Upon arrest, the 14 convicts admitted to the crime and made confessional statements. Forensic analysis of their phones and laptops revealed that while some of them specialized in love scam, others impersonated United States military personnel purportedly on foreign mission and needed financial help as they could not access their funds. They made their victims give them gift cards which they changed to Bitcoin and then to Naira.
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Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
29 September, 2020
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EFCC, SEC Partner against Ponzi Schemes
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission are committed to strengthening the partnership between the agencies with a view to tackling the menace of Ponzi schemes in the country.
This commitment was restated during a courtesy visit by the Kano Zonal Head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mohammed Danladi to his EFCC counterpart, Sanusi Aliyu Mohammed on Tuesday, September 29, 2020.
The SEC Zonal Head described his visit to EFCC as an effort to solidify the already existing relationship between EFCC and SEC. “This visit is nothing more than to solidify the existing relationship between EFCC and SEC which dates back to the inception of EFCC. We are here to renew that relationship, foster it and fight the common enemy together”, he said.
Mr Danladi expressed concern about his Commission’s challenges dealing with operators of wonder banks which are on the rise especially in the northern part of the country. According to him, the operators of the illegal scheme are taking advantage of the financial illiteracy of the public to defraud them in the name of investment.
He added that most of the Ponzi scheme operators avoid SEC registration because they know they would be monitored.
In his response, the EFCC Zonal Head, Sanusi Mohammed, suggested a joint operation between the two agencies to curtail the spread of Ponzi schemes and prevent the public from falling victims of the scam.
Mohammed further assured the SEC of the Commission’s continued support as the two agencies share common objectives to fight financial crimes. “As long as the mandate of EFCC and that of SEC remain, you cannot separate the SEC and EFCC. We will continue to work together institutionally,”he said.
“Where the SEC’s main concern is to make sure investors are protected from losing their investments, the EFCC’s concern is the protection of the general public from the activities of fraudsters, which are one and the same,” the Zonal Head added.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
29 September, 2020
……………………………….
EFCC, SEC Partner against Ponzi Schemes
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission are committed to strengthening the partnership between the agencies with a view to tackling the menace of Ponzi schemes in the country.
This commitment was restated during a courtesy visit by the Kano Zonal Head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mohammed Danladi to his EFCC counterpart, Sanusi Aliyu Mohammed on Tuesday, September 29, 2020.
The SEC Zonal Head described his visit to EFCC as an effort to solidify the already existing relationship between EFCC and SEC. “This visit is nothing more than to solidify the existing relationship between EFCC and SEC which dates back to the inception of EFCC. We are here to renew that relationship, foster it and fight the common enemy together”, he said.
Mr Danladi expressed concern about his Commission’s challenges dealing with operators of wonder banks which are on the rise especially in the northern part of the country. According to him, the operators of the illegal scheme are taking advantage of the financial illiteracy of the public to defraud them in the name of investment.
He added that most of the Ponzi scheme operators avoid SEC registration because they know they would be monitored.
In his response, the EFCC Zonal Head, Sanusi Mohammed, suggested a joint operation between the two agencies to curtail the spread of Ponzi schemes and prevent the public from falling victims of the scam.
Mohammed further assured the SEC of the Commission’s continued support as the two agencies share common objectives to fight financial crimes. “As long as the mandate of EFCC and that of SEC remain, you cannot separate the SEC and EFCC. We will continue to work together institutionally,”he said.
“Where the SEC’s main concern is to make sure investors are protected from losing their investments, the EFCC’s concern is the protection of the general public from the activities of fraudsters, which are one and the same,” the Zonal Head added.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
29 September, 2020
………………………………………….
