16th May, 2019
Justice A.A. Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has convicted and sentenced two Facebook hackers, Odion Destiny Osas and Eroh Emmanuel Benadine to three years imprisonment each for internet fraud.
Their journey to prison started when one Ncheta Omerekpe petitioned the Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on their illicit online activities.
According to Ncheta, the convicts had in June 2018, hacked into his Facebook account, impersonated him and sent several distress messages to his friends and associates asking them for money, which some of his friends actually sent to the convicts.
When they were first arraigned on February 8, 2019, they pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence, preferred against them by the EFCC.
The prosecution, through its counsel, J.O. Abolarin opened trial and presented a witness, Mustapha Suleman, an EFCC detective, who tendered several documents including a signed printout of their First Bank statements of account and the written statements of the nominal complainant among others, which were admitted in evidence.
At the resumed sitting the convicts opted to change their pleas, which the court granted. They both pleaded “guilty” to the three counts.
Justice Okeke, thereafter, convicted the hackers and sentenced them to one year imprisonment on each count without the option of a fine, and ordered that the punishments run concurrently.
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