Court sentences 2 men to 2 years each in jail for internet fraud

Justice Dairus Khobo of the Kaduna High Court, on Tuesday, sentenced two men, Peter Ejike and Godwin Samson, to two years imprisonment for internet fraud.

Delivering judgment, Justice Khobo sentenced the convicts to two years in jail after each pleaded guilty to internet fraud.

He, however, gave an option of N400,000 fine to the convicts.

The judge further ordered the convicts to forfeit their iPhones, which were proceeds and instruments of crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The convicts were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Command, on a two- count charge of impersonation and fraud.

Earlier, the EFCC Counsel, E. K. Garba, told the court that the convicts were arrested following actionable intelligence about the activities of syndicates of fraudsters operating in Malali and areas of Kaduna.

Garba said that on receiving the report, investigation was conducted, which revealed that the convicts while using a fraudulent email and Instagram accounts defrauded unsuspecting foreign nationals; David Tim and Lisa Barry.

He said that the convicts defrauded the foreigners of $2,800 in crypto curreny, Bitcoin – which was converted and transferred into the convicts’ Kuda Microfinance Bank and First Bank accounts.

The prosecution noted that the offence contravened Section 14 (3) of the Cybercrime (Prevention Prohibition, ETC) Act, 2015.

Following the plea of the defendants, and their extra-judicial statements, the prosecution reviewed the facts of the case, and tendered the information on the iPhones recovered from them at the point of arrest as evidence.

However, counsel to the defendants, Willams Aaron, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as they were first-time offenders who had become remorseful for their actions.