Kano, Kaduna courts jail 42 fraudsters for internet fraud and cheating

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of 42 fraudsters before Justices A.M Liman, M.N Yunusa, Darius Khobo, A.A Bello and A.A Isiaka.

32 of the convicts were jailed by Justices Liman and Yunusa of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kano while the remaining 10 were jailed by Justices Khobo, Bello and Isiaka in Kaduna.

They were all jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges preferred against them by the EFCC.

The 32 convicts jailed in Kano are: Happy Mahmud, Ahmed Musa, Godwil Adams, Kigbu Agyivye Samuel, Walter Moses Afamefuna, Mustapha Aliyu, Hope Ezekiel, Ogbonna Emmanuel, Adamu Ali, Abdullahi Usman Abdullahi, Ibrahim Mohammed Neziru, Favour Pius, Timothy Danjuma, Adejare Abdulfahad, Isah Labaran, Ani Godswill, Adamu Muhammad, Muhammed Zafir Agede, Adidas Oyiwoza Junior, Victor Adaji and Matthew Etta.

Others are: Blessed Oyewole, Joshua Victor,  Egbodo Mathew, Oladipupo David, Omotosho Owolabi, Shehu Salisu, Ezeugwu Kingsley, Ambrose Favour Okwose, Moses Danladi, Henry Chimnemelum Akaenyi and Elijah Philemon.

The remaining 10 fraudsters jailed in Kaduna are: Japhet Sunday ( a.k.a Nicolas Galitzine), Precious Audu, Oche Emmanuel ( a.k.a Allegra Liliane), Good News Ezekiel ( a.k.a Jessica Allen), Gabriel Lious ( a.k.a Jonny Depp), Adedigba Jamiu Adeniyi ( a.k.a Jiggy Jay), Joel Moses ( a.k.a Vin Diesel), Tizhe Zinas Japhet ( a.k.a Richard Miller and a.k.a Arthur Van Gulik) and Fu’ad Oreoluwa Abdulsalam ( a.k.a Crack Thompson) and Suleiman Dada.

The charge against Philemon reads: “That you Elajikun Philemon (a.k.a Maria) sometimes in 2024 at Keffi, Nassarwa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, retained the total sum of $45 (Forty-five US Dollars) from one Mrs. Anna, which you knew that such fund forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

The charge against Mahmud reads: “That you Happy Mahmud (a.k.a Lucas Patrick) sometimes in February, 2024 in Keffi, Nassarwa state within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud impersonated one Lucas Patrick via ‘Facebook’ chat(an online social media application) which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc)Act, 2015.”

Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Matiyak.Y. John and K.S Ogunlade prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justices Liman and  Yunusa thereafter convicted and sentenced 10 of the convicts to two years imprisonment each or  a fine of N50, 000.00 ( Fifty Thousand Naira) each. Fifteen were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand naira). Six of the convicts were sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand naira), while only Muhammed Zafir Agede was sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

They all forfeited their phones to the federal government and made restitution to their respective victims.

The remaining convicts jailed in Kaduna were also prosecuted on one-count separate  charges to which they all pleaded “guilty.”

The one-count charge against Dauda reads: “That you Suleiman Dauda sometime in 2020 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court cheated one Mohammed Hassan of his property worth N5,000,000.00 (Five Million naira) when you presented yourself as being capable of buying his vehicle, a Honda Accord 2013 model which you collected and sold without paying back the money after taking delivery of the vehicle, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 306 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 307 of the same Law.”

Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye, Y.J Matiyak and G.U Gadaka urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The 10 bagged jail terms that ranged from two to five years respectively or an option of fine that ranged between N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) to N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).  Additionally they forfeited their phones to the federal government. Dauda bagged four years or an option of fine of N100, 000 and restitution of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) to his victim.

The road to jail began for the 42 convicts when they were arrested following credible intelligence on their involvement in internet-related offences.