The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says its efforts at combating internet fraud-related offences has led to the arrest of 36 suspects in Anambra, while it secured the conviction of 24 others in Kaduna, Kwara and Edo states.
The anti-graft commission made the disclosure on Wednesday through its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
According to him, the suspects in Anambra were arrested on October 11 2024 at various locations in Onitsha following actionable intelligence linking them with suspected online criminal activities.
Upon arrest, preliminary investigations showed that the suspects impersonated foreign nationals using social media platforms to defraud unsuspecting victims.
The suspects, from whom such Items as eight luxury vehicles, sophisticated brands of mobile phones and laptops were recovered, will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
In Benin City, the Edo state capital, operatives of the EFCC secured the conviction and sentence of 15 internet fraudsters before Justice A. N. Erhabor of Edo State High Court.
The convicts are Nosa Gift, Igbinosa Eghosa, Nosazee Nosakhare, Imumonlen Jude, Promise Ogheneghere, Osadiaye Osasenaga Perfect, Ugiagbe Miracle, David Julius, Nosakhare Godswill and Ajayi Precious.
Others are Idowu Olumayokun Omotoyo, Amina Kabiru, Martins Onos Iboyirode, Benson Amengbeivie Blessing and Alabi Etinosa.
They were prosecuted on separate one-count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime, impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents.
They all pleaded “guilty” to their charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, I.M Elodi, A.A Ibrahim Faisal, A.S. Bala- Ribah and Ahmed Salihu to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice Erhabor convicted and sentenced Omotoyo, Kabiru, Iboyirode, Blessing, Etinosa, Gift, Eghosa, Nosakhare, Jude, Ogheneghere, Perfect, Julius, Godswill and Precious to two years imprisonment respectively or to pay a fine of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) each, while Miracle bagged three years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
All the convicts forfeited their phones, laptops, and money traced to their bank accounts to the federal government and further undertook in writing to be of good behaviour going forward.
In the same vein, operatives of the Commission, attached to its Ilorin Zonal Directorate secured the conviction of six persons for offences bordering on internet fraud before Justices Sulaiman Akanbi and Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
The convicts are Idris Muhammed, Ismail Temitope Mustapha, Oyekola Odunayo, Anthony Slyvester Stephen, Timilehin Adeniyi and Olayiwola Ayomide Abdulmalik.
Justice Akanbi jailed Idris, Ismail, Oyekola and Anthony while the duo of Timilehin and Olayiwola were convicted by Justice Yusuf.
The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, following which, Prosecution counsel, Andrew Akoja and Victoria Igodo tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants, items recovered from them at the point of arrest and monies that they benefited from the illegal activities, which the court admitted in evidence.
Consequently, Justice Akanbi sentenced Idris to two years imprisonment with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only) and ordered the forfeiture of his iphone 13, and the sum of $300 (Three Hundred Dollars), which he raised as restitution to the Federal Government.
The court sentenced Ismail to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only), while ordering the forfeiture of his iphone 11 promax and $300USD to the Federal Government.
Oyekola also bagged one year imprisonment on count one with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only), two years imprisonment on count two with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) and two weeks community service on count three and a fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only). The sum of $300 and N34,900 recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Similarly, the court sentenced Anthony to one year imprisonment with an option of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only) and ordered that the iphone 12 and the sum of $25 which he benefited from the unlawful activities be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In a similar fashion, Justice Yusuf sentenced the duo of Timilehin and Olayiwola to six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) each. The convicts’ phones and the monies they brought as restitution were forfeited to the Federal Government.
In Kaduna, Justices Hawaa Buhari and R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna have convicted and sentenced Owoyale Shuaib (a.k.a Mary Lisa Goklool), Oluwafemi Moses Oluwatosin (a.k.a Douglas Chiater) and Wisdom Sambo Sammy (a.k.a Prudent Jameson) to various jail terms for fraud.
The trio were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on one-count separate charges, bordering on impersonation and cybercrimes.
They all pleaded “guilty” to their charges when they were read to them, upon which prosecution counsel M.J Argungu prayed the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Buhari sentenced Shuaib and Oluwatosin to four and two years imprisonment respectively or to pay a fine of N 500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) each, while Justice Aikawa sentenced Sammy to five years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N 500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
In addition to their prison terms, they forfeited their phones, being the tools of their crimes to the federal government.
The convicts were arrested in their Minna hideout, following credible intelligence on their fraudulent internet activities.
