A Kaduna State High Court has convicted five undergraduates of various tertiary institutions relating to internet-related fraud.
The convicts are Chidebere Stanley Opara ( aka Avail Hollywood), Manasseh Sefa Ephraim ( aka Felicia_dannyels), Victor Odeh ( aka Christopher Anderson), Chukwukere Obinna Paul ( aka Shaun Lee) and Enyogu Etim Ekpo ( aka Henry Wilson; JASDAV7)
In a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC the five convicts were jailed before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court on one count separate charge bordering on internet fraud.
According to the statement issued by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, they were investigated the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC, after their arrest in a sting operation in Kaduna.
The Commission said Investigation revealed how they created fictitious accounts on various social media platforms to defraud unsuspecting victims, mostly foreigners.
Their separate one-count charge reads
The charge against Chidebere Stanley Opara alleges that the defendant, “sometime in May, 2023 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Avail Hollywood ( an American Citizen) on “Google Chat ” ( an online social media application) and in such assumed character cheated one Duke Hardy””. The offence is contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law
Victor Oche Odeh is alleged to have, “between January and July 2023 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence, to wit: cheating by Impersonation and in such an attempt falsely presented yourself as one Christopher Anderson ( a white man from Denver, Colorado, USA) to one Rhonda Evans on ‘Facebook’ ( an online social media application) in order to cheat her and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law”.
They pleaded guilty to their respective charges. In the light of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, E.K Garba, M. E Eimonye and K.S Ogunlade urged the court to convict them accordingly. Justice Khobo convicted and sentenced the defendants to two years imprisonment with an option of N 150,000 fine each.
They are to further forfeit all proceeds of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
