25th November, 2019
Three more cyber fraudsters, Isiah Nduka Alozie, Michael Chwuebuka and Njoku Chinedu were sentenced to various jail terms on Monday in Enugu.
So far, fifteen fraudsters, arrested by the EFCC, have been convicted and sentenced between November 20 and 25 by Justice I.N Buba of the Federal High Court, Enugu.
Other fraudsters who were all arrested at various locations in Enugu and Imo states sequel to intelligence on their involvement in Internet scams and lavish lifestyle include Attah Emeka, Chigozie Jude Okonkwo, Fabulous Chidiebere, Chinecherem Odikpo, Ejimonye Donald, Odunka Ike Nelson, Onuncha Jacob, Onyedika Maacha, Uzorma Sanctus,Wisdom Okeke ,Igwe Chinonso and Okoye Pascal.
Their ages range between 21 – 27 years and are mostly students of various tertiary institutions across the zone.
They were arraigned on separate one count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.
One of the charges read: “That you, CHIGOZIE JUDE OKONKWO (Alias John
Tucker)sometime in April 2019 at Enugu within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria while representing yourself to be JOHN TUCKER by means of a computer system knowingly sent a message through your TINDER Account – JOHN TUCKER to MARY FAJARDO, knowing same to be false, for the purpose of gaining advantage and obtaining property for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to SECTION 22 (3) (A) (B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention etc, ) Act,2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act”.
When the cases were separately called up , the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges read to them which prompted the prosecution counsel, O.M. Umukoro to tender statements and documents printed from their phones as evidence against them.
Justice Buba sentenced the convicts to terms of imprisonment ranging from one to three months some of which were to start from the time of their arrests.
He ordered the forfeiture of their laptop computers and several android phones, including hard drives to the Federal Government of Nigeria.