The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command,  on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, secured the conviction of eight internet fraudsters before Justices Chinyere Nwecheonu, A.A. Akobi A.I. Kutigi and V.S Garba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

Five of the convicts: Emmanuel Ogochukwu, Ugochukwu Mathias and Aderele Adekunle, Abdullahi Adebola Ayinde and Matthew Ushie Adie were prosecuted before Justice Nwecheonwu of the FCT High Court, Kuje on one-count charge each.

Adie’s charge reads, “that you, Matthew Ushie Adie, sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by impersonation when you presented yourself as a citizen of the United Kingdom using Facebook platform and benefitted the sum of Four Million, Four Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira Only (N4,410,000) from one Jeremy Justice Meir, a fact you knew to be false and committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act”.

Ogochukwu, pretending to be Kob Sook Dennis cheated one Yen Tran on Facebook platform. Ugochukwu also pretending to be Arjun Sharma on Instagram cheated unsuspecting females of the sum of $400 (Four Hundred US Dollars). Aderele, pretending to be one Finalisa, the daughter of one Lee Bruce, a contractor from Hong Kong, obtained the sum of 3000 RMB (Three Thousand Renminbi), while Abdullahi created an Instagram account in the name of an American actor, Tom Cruise and in that assumed character obtained the sum of $80 (Eighty US Dollars) from one Anne Line Bergh alias Sarafina Carly, a Norwegian citizen.

Justice Nwecheonu sentenced all five defendants to one year in prison with options of fine as follows: Emmanuel Ogochukwu and Abdullahi both bagged a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand naira) each, while Aderele is to pay N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. Ugochukwu and Adie were fined N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) each.

In addition, all convicts are to forfeit proceeds of crime to the Federal Government.

In a related development, one Raphael Samuel Maduabuchi who was prosecuted before Justice A.A Akobi of the FCT High Court Gwagwalada on a one count charge for cheating by personation when he presented himself as a white woman named ‘plasticjuggernaut787’ from the United States of America to obtain a total sum of $500 (Five Hundred United States Dollars) from Damonnava as transport fare to meet him, was sentenced to community service including cutting the grass within the court premises, after pleading guilty to the charge.

Also, his Samsung Galaxy S9 phone is to be forfeit to the Federal Government.

Also, Justice A.I. Kutigi of the FCT High Court Jabi, Abuja convicted one Prince David on a one count charge of cheating by impersonation when he created a Reddit application with nude female pictures with the name Ladiphilipol and obtained One Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($150) from one Josef, pretending to be in a romantic relationship with him.