Twenty -nine internet fraudsters have bagged various jail terms handed down by Justice A.N. Erhabor, and Justice W. I. Aziegbemhin of the Edo State High Courts, sitting in Benin City.
This was disclosed Thursday night by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on its official X handle.
The commission named those convicted as Edeyibo Hope, Igbafe David, Emakhu Bonfrey, Genesis Ndujifor, Okolosie Godstime, Chukwu David, Ebuka Emmanuel, Akhere Akahomhen, Odiniru Vet, Obiora Kelvin, and Stephen Eghosa.
Also convicted are Osagioduwa Aivihenyor, Lucky Ekhator, Ekechukwu Stanley, Lucky Moses, David Odiniru, Christopher Alex, Orovirie Sunny, Abraham Ifeanyi and Aisosa Vincent.
Others include Agbede Harrison, Endurance Ebalukpe, Igbiniken Osarvmwense, Okonoboh Odiegie, Joseph Imhangbegbe, Orion Aigbona, Godstime Adebor, Ambrose Otsemeuno and Mattew Obayuywana
The convicted internet fraudsters were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on separate one-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence, advance fee fraud, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.
The offences committed by the fraudsters were contrary to Section 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
According to the EFCC, all the defendants pleaded guilty to their charges, when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, F.A Jirbo, K Y. Bello, Isa K. Agwai, Faisal Ibrahim, Al-Amin Ibrahim Abdul, Bala-Ribah and Salihu Ahmed to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendants have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice Erhabor convicted and sentenced Hope, David, Bonfrey, David, Emmanuel, Akahomhen, Sunny, Ifeanyi, Vincent, Otsemeuno, Ebalukpe, Harrison, Osarvmwense, Odiegie, Imhangbegbe, Aigbona, Adebor and Obayuywana to two years imprisonment each or to pay N200, 000 fine respectively.
Similarly, Justice Aziegbemhin convicted and sentenced Ndujifor and Godstime to two years imprisonment each or to pay N200, 000 fine, respectively.
The judge slammed Kelvin, Eghosa, Aivihenyor, Ekhator, Stanley, Moses, Osarvmwense, Vet and Alex with two years imprisonment each or to pay N400,000 fine respectively,
The judge ordered the forfeiture of a red colour Mercedes Benz C300 with registration number BEN258CM recovered from Odiniru Vet, being proceeds of crime to the federal government.
In addition to their sentences, all the convicts forfeited all items recovered from them to the federal government, including phones, computers, money and cars, while the defendants undertook in writing to be of good behaviour going forward.
The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began with their arrest in a sting operation by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, following credible intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.
