The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arraigned and secured the conviction of a 21-year-old internet fraudster, Jatto Sheriff Umar, who posed as the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, in order to defraud unsuspecting victims via online relationship.
The suspect who was on Wednesday arraigned was convicted and sentenced to prison for offences bordering on personation and cybercrime.
The defendants pleaded guilty to their separate charge.
Innocent Mbachie represented the EFCC in the cases before Justice Abdulgafar, while R. A Alao prosecuted for the Commission in the cases before Justice Akinpelu.
The two counsel urged the courts to take notice of the confessional statements and the guilty plea entered by the defendants as well as the evidence tendered against them, which included the devices used in perpetrating the crime to convict and sentence them as charged.
Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Jatto (Zuckerberg’s impostor) to six months imprisonment each on count one and two, to run concurrently at Mandala Correctional Centre. The sentences are however suspended, but the convict would be reporting to official of the Correctional Centre. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 12 pro, laptop and manager’s cheque, which he raised as restitution to his victims.
The judge gave Damilola a suspended sentence of six months imprisonment on count one and two, to run concurrently, while ordering the forfeiture of the phone used to perpetrate the crime to the federal government.
Justice Abdulgafar also sentenced Taiwo to a suspended term of six months imprisonment. The court ordered that the convict’s Black Toyota Corolla Car with registration number LRN237RA, Dell Laptop, and one IPhone 11 pro be forfeited to the federal government.
Similar sentence was imposed on Mark as the court jailed him six months, which shall be suspended, while ordering the forfeiture of the phone used in committing the crime.
On the other hand, Justice Akinpelu sentenced Olayinka to six months imprisonment each on count one and two, to run concurrently with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) on each count.
In the same vein, the judge sentenced Abiodun to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira). The court also ordered the forfeiture of a draft of N135,000 (One Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand Naira) raised as restitution to the victim of the crime as well as iPhone XR used as instrumentality of the crime.
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Also in Edo state the two internet fraudsters, Igboin Alex and Osagie Pius Ekiende were convicted by Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City on one count charge each for offences bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
Alex was alleged to have fraudulently obtained the sum of $30,000 USD from one Beth Cabins while Ekiende used a software to gain access to the account of a certain Cherry Pirozziu from Sam Francisco, USA.
More so EFCC arraigned the trio of Jessica Roselyn Edoleyi, Charles Endurance and Ayase Destiny before Justice S. M. Shuaibu for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretense, intent to defraud and impersonation. Edoleyi was arraigned on a six count charge for allegedly obtaining the sum of Two Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand (N2,550,000) from one Airiohuodion Efosa on the pretext of securing a Canadian Visa for him.
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Charles Endurance and Ayase Destiny are alleged to have impersonated the identities of Roland Scout, Sina Joorachi, George Lawrence in their attempt to defraud unsuspecting foreign nationals.
