Five undergraduates in Kaduna University convicted of internet-related fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Kaduna Regional Command (EFCC) has secured the convictions of five undergraduate students from various higher education institutions before Judge Darius: Chidebere Stanley Opara (Avail Hollywood), Manasseh Sefa Ephraim (aka Felicia_dannyels), Victor Odeh (aka Christopher Anderson), Chukwukere Obinna Paul (aka Shaun Lee) and Enyogu Etim Ekpo (aka Henry Wilson; JASDAV7) were convicted before Judge Darius. Cobo, of the Kaduna State High Court, appeared on a separate charge related to internet fraud.
They were all caught in a sting operation in Kaduna. The investigation revealed how they created fake accounts on various social media platforms to scam unsuspecting victims, most of them foreigners.
The charge against Chidebere Stanley Opara alleges that the defendant “impersonated an Avail Hollywood (a US citizen) on Google Chat (an online social media application) sometime in May 2023, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Court of Honor, and defrauded a Duke Hardy by such impersonation.” Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, punishable under section 309 of the Act.
Victor Oche Odeh is charged, “within Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Court of Honor, between January and July 2023, of committing an offense of cheating by impersonating and attempting to impersonate Christopher Anderson (white from Denver, Colorado, USA) to Rhonda Evans (online social media application) on ‘facebook’, defrauded her, thereby committing an offense under Section 57 of the Kaduna Act. una National Penal Code, 2017 and may be punished under Section 309 of the Act”.
They pleaded guilty to their respective charges. Based on their pleas, prosecution lawyers E.K Garba, M.E Eimonye and K.S Ogunlade urged the court to convict them accordingly. Judge Khobo convicted and sentenced the defendants to two years in jail with an optional fine of N150,000 each.
They will also confiscate all proceeds of crime from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Court jails Piqué and two others for cyber-fraud in Benin City
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, Judge M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court in Benin City sentenced Kelly Alakpa to prison for fraud.
Arakpa, 31, who identified himself as a businessman, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Committee of the Benin regional command for allegedly withholding the proceeds of crime.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges at arraignment, prompting the prosecution’s lawyer, Salihu Ahmed, to ask the court to convict him and sentence him accordingly.
However, defense attorneys asked the court for leniency as the defendant was a first-time offender.
Judge Itsueli convicted and sentenced Alakpa to three years in jail or fined N300,000. The court also ordered that a Mercedes-Benz GLK recovered from him, a phone and the tools of the crime be confiscated to the Nigerian federal government.
During the investigation, Arakpa admitted to being a “picker” in the chain of online scams and receiving huge sums of money from unsuspecting victims.
In the charges against him, Alakopa was charged with withholding a total of N199,628,431.99 (one hundred and ninety-nine million, six hundred and twenty-eight thousand, four hundred and thirty-one naira, ninety-four kobo), contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 17(b) of the Act.
Similarly, at the Federal High Court in Benin City, Judge (Professor) C. A. Obiozor convicted on Thursday and sentenced Lucas Lucky Oboh to two years in prison or a fine of 200,000 naira.
The criminals will also confiscate his mobile phone and 200 euros recovered from him as proceeds of crime to be handed over to the Nigerian federal government.
Obobo was indicted by the court on one count of impersonation. Posing as American Kevin Robet, the criminal sent messages to Natalia Amada with the intent of defrauding unsuspecting victims.
Similarly, Judge S. M. Shuiabu of the Federal High Court of Benin City, in
On Wednesday, July 19, Peter Ikechukwu Ekpobuna was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years in jail or fined N400,000.
Eke Bobner pleaded guilty to one count of near impersonation, prompting prosecution attorney I. M. Elodi to pray for the court to convict him and sentence him accordingly.
The charges against him are as follows: “You, Peter Ikechukwu Ekpobuna, sometime in April 2023, in Ogara, Delta State, within the jurisdiction of this Tribunal, committed an offense under Section 1 by sending documents over the Internet to Wisely Silva, impersonating the identity of a Brazilian Bitcoin trader, Eunatavavares-Trader, which you claimed to be from said Eunatavavares-Trader, with intent to benefit yourself. Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition of Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 and may be punished under section 22(2)(b)(IV) of the Act.
arewanahiya.com
