The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of eight internet fraudsters before Justices Darius Khobo, Justice A.A Bello and Justice A.Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna for activities that border on cybercrimes.
The convicts are: Nicholas Shedrack, Abraham Simon, Chika Ukoha, Francis Agber, Jennifer Augustine Ezekiel, Yasir Alhassan, Emmanuel Afuagbon and Nnamdi Obiakor.
They were prosecuted on separate one-count charges bordering on internet fraud.
The charge against Ukoha read: “That you Chika Ukoha (a.k.a Shana Farrand) (M), sometimes between January and April, 2024 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, falsely presented yourself as one Shana Farrand; a white lady who deals and delivers wig and living in United States of America on Facebook (an online social media application) and in that assumed character cheated one Madison Freeman of the total sum of $700USD (Seven Hundred USD)and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Act.”
Shedrack’s charge read: “That you Nicholas Shedrack (a.k.a BAIS S MILLER) sometime, in April 2024 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit; cheating by impersonation when you falsely represented yourself as Bais S. Miller(a lady who lives at Charlotte North Caroline from United State of America) on a Facebook ( an online social media platform) and in such assumed identity, induced one Mike Campbell to send to you Gift cards worth $200 (Two Hundred United States of America Dollars) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, following which prosecuting counsels M.E Eimonye, M. Arumemi, K.Ogunlade and G.U Gadaka prayed the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Shedrack, Alhassan and Ukoha bagged two years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira ), N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) respectively. In addition, Ukoha will have to restitute his victim the sum of $700 (Seven Hundred United States Dollars), being proceeds of his crime.
Simon, Ezekiel, Obiakor, Afuagbon and Agber were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment each. Simon and Ezekiel were given an option to pay a fine of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira), N350,000,00 (Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) respectively, while Obiakor, Afuagbon and Agber were given an option to pay N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) each. Additionally, Agber was ordered to restitute the sum of $500 being proceeds of his crime to his victim.
They all forfeited their communicating devices, being the tools of their crimes to the federal government.
The convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences. They were charged to court and jailed.