- * As Court Convicts 2 Kwara Poly Students
By Thelma VeraCruz (Bureau Chief, South-South, in PortHarcourt) and Boye Olawuyi (Kwara State Correspondent)
Operatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), have arrested 15 suspected internet fraudsters in a sting operation.
They were arrested on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at different locations in Aba, Abia State. Specifically, the suspects were arrested at No. 214b, Aba-Owerri Road and Cherubim Owo Osisioma and Intercontinental by Nwanyi Motors, Umuode Osisioma, Aba, Abia State following intelligence on their alleged involvement in internet fraud.
The suspects are: Ezekiel Udo; Anyanwu Odinakachi; Emeka Agu; Lawrence Chinaza Michael; Ifeanyi Okorie; Nestor Akobunu; Frank Ogu; Ezekiel Samuel Uche; Inegbu Onyema Uche; Azukaogi Ogiegbe; Okoro Uchechukwu; Victor Ehiudo; John Chiemela, Lucky Nwoko and Ugochukwu Emmanuel Okafor.
They were arrested alongside three (3) vehicles: Lexus RX350 Sports Utility Vehicle, GLK Benz SUV and Lexus ES33O SUV. Others are: forty three (43) phones of different brands and models; seven (7) walkie talkies; two (2) digital cameras, eight (8) laptops and three (3) iPhone wrist watches.
The matter will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.
In a related development, the Ilorin, Kwara State Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Tuesday August 31, 2021 secured the conviction one Oyadiji Temitope Ridwan, a student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, and one Asimiyu Idris over offences bordering on personation and internet fraud.
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin convicted and sentenced the defendants to various jail terms, having found them guilty of the separate charges levelled against them by the anti-graft agency.
The charge against Oyadiji reads.
“That you, Oyadiji Temitope Ridwan, (Alias Dave Sayer) sometime in March, 2021 at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Dave Sayer, a white male, vide your WhatsApp application with your number +1915209228 and in that guise communicated with one Danny Coffman whom you induced to part with property to with: $750 vide gift cards, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code"
The particulars of count two of the charge against Asimiyu read:
“That you, Asimiyu Idris, (Alias Nicky Pearl), sometime between June and July, 2021 at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Nicky Pearl vide your facebook account and in that guise communicated with one Martin Stone whom you induced to part with property to wit: gross sum of $400 (Four Hundred US Dollars) vide Amazon Gift Cards, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 234 of the same Penal Code”.
The defendants pleaded guilty to their charges.
Following their pleas, Prosecuting Counsel, Andrew Akoja, reviewed the facts of the cases through the EFCC witnesses. The witnesses who are operatives of the Commission narrated how intelligence led to the arrest of the defendants. According to the witnesses, the defendants admitted committing the crime and volunteered statement during investigation.
Fraudulent messages printed from their email addresses, iPhones and laptop and the extra-judicial statements made by the defendants were tendered and admitted in evidence.
Delivering judgment on the cases, Justice Oyinloye said “from the totality of the evidence placed before the court, the plea of guilt entered by the defendants as well as the extra-judicial statements where they confessed to the crime, the court believes that prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt”.
The judge after pronouncing the two guilty, sentenced Oyadiji to one year imprisonment with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) while the iPhone, laptop and bank draft of N309,000 (Three Hundred and Nine Thousand Naira Only) which he raised as restitution were forfeited to the Federal Government.
Similarly, Asimiyu was sentenced to one year imprisonment on count one with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and one year imprisonment on count two with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only)
The court also ordered the forfeiture of convict’s iPhone to the Federal Government. He was also ordered to restitute the sum of $470 (Four Hundred and Seventy Dollars) which he benefited from the crime to his victim through the EFCC. NNL.
