Court Cracks Down On Cybercrime: 10 Internet Fraudsters Sentenced To Jail

The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of ten individuals for internet fraud before Justice M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City.

The convicts, identified as Okoro Emmanuel, Billwise Dikoru, Enoma Osasumwen, Samson Festus, Godspower Afolorunikon, Omonle Damien, Sunday Uanseoje, Sylvester Udu, Ani Chucks, and Amilegbe Saviour, faced separate charges that included impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, advance fee fraud, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent documents.

According to the EFCC, Okoro Emmanuel was charged with possessing documents on his iPhone 11 containing false pretences, in violation of Sections 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2006, punishable under Section 1(3) of the same law.

All ten defendants pleaded guilty, prompting prosecution counsel K. Y. Bello and Isa Agwai to request that the court convict and sentence them. Defence lawyers, however, appealed for leniency, noting that their clients had expressed remorse for their actions.

Justice Itsueli subsequently sentenced each convict to two years’ imprisonment or, alternatively, a fine of N200,000. In addition, all the convicts forfeited their mobile phones, laptops, and funds in their bank accounts, which were deemed instruments and proceeds of their crimes, to the Federal Government.

The EFCC noted that the arrests followed credible intelligence that exposed the suspects’ fraudulent activities online.