Court sends eight internet fraudsters to jail in Kaduna

By Chimezie Godfrey

Justice Nasiru .U. Sadiq of the Kaduna State High court  has convicted and sentenced eight internet fraudsters to various terms of imprisonment  for internet-related offences, cheating  and  impersonation.

This was made known in a statement by the Head, Media & Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren.

According to him, the  fraudsters : Jimoh Hamza, David Joseph, Osondu Obinna Stanley, Praise Yusuf, Ashiru Adamu,  Abdulwasiu Yunus, Yusuf Buhari and Joseph Jerry were jailed on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge bordering on impersonation and cheating, upon their arraignment by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC.  

The one count charge for David Joseph reads,: “That you David Joseph Adoyi, on or about the 11th of August, 2022, at Goni Gora axis of Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and in such assumed character impersonated one Mark Johnson (an American citizen) via your Instagram account and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.

The charge for Abdulwasiu Yunus reads: “That you Abdulwasiu Yunus, Male, sometimes in April, 2022, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Alina Belle, a citizen of United States of America on Instagram and in such false identity engaged David Plewis on a romantic relationship and obtained the sum of $5000 USD (Five Thousand United States of America Dollar) worth of gift cards, and you thereby committed cheating by impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 309 of the same law”.

The defendants pleaded guilty to  their respective charges when read to each one of them separately. 

Consequent on their guilty pleas,  prosecution counsels:  Moses Arumemi and Matiyak.Y.John and M. Lawal,   prayed the court to convict them accordingly  but  defence counsels: Abu Usman.A, N.S Dantata, Aba Cornelius Afiyoup, N. Shehu and B.A Tanko,  sued for mercy of the court for the defendants,  stressing that they had become remorseful.

Justice Sadiq  thereafter convicted and sentenced  Joseph to three months imprisonment or pay a fine of N100,000,00( One Hundred Thousand Naira). He is also to forfeit One Iphone 11 Pro mobile phone to the government.   Hamza was sentenced to three months imprisonment or pay a fine of N150,000.00( One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) and  forfeit One Apple Iphone X5 Max mobile phone to the government.

Also,  Yusuf  bagged three months imprisonment or pay a fine of N150,000.00 and  forfeit One Infinix Hot 5 mobile phone to the government.  Both  Stanley and Adamu got  three months imprisonment each  or pay a fine of N100,000.00 each. They also forfeited their phones to the government

On the parts of Yunus and  Buhari,  Justice Sadiq convicted and sentenced them to three months imprisonment each,  without an option of fine.  They forfeited the following items to the government:   one black LG Led TV,  3.1 multimedia speakers system, 5×5 Vitafoam mattress, one-seater cushion chair, one  Senwei SV2200 generator, one black and brown TV stand,  one black wall mirror. one Apple Iphone 12 Pro Max, one black Dell laptop, a bank draft in the sum of N350,000.00( Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), a 6×12 mattress, two black colour cushioned chairs ,one  Hisense fridge, a washing machine, decoder,  Yamaha generator, 4 sets of speaker, a DVD video, one motorcycle, one microwave, two pairs of shoes and a 21inch Hisense television set.

Jerry was also sentenced and convicted to three months imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000.00 and forfeited two mobile phones to the government.