Court jails fraudsters
By Paul Michael, Abuja
Justice Darius Khobo of the State High Court sitting in Kaduna, has convicted and sentenced two fraudsters to six years imprisonment for impersonation and cybercrimes.
The convicts, Mmadubionwu Tochukwu Kingsley and Samuel Ngode Wobin, were jailed on Monday, May 16, 2022, after pleading guilty to a one-count charge bordering on impersonation, upon their arraignment by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The one-count charge reads, “That you Mmadubionwu Tochukwu Kingsley (m) sometime in April, 2022 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in an attempt to commit fraud falsely presented yourself as one Gerald Keith, a white man and an entrepreneur on Instagram App (a social media online network), when you knew you were not, and thereby committing an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 142 (1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.”
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“That you, Samuel Ngode Wobin (M), sometime in April, 2022 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court in an attempt to commit fraud falsely presented yourself as one Thomas Broussard, American military personnel stationed in El Segundo, Los Angeles, California to Jessica R. Brownskin, when you knew you were not and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.”
They both pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to them individually.
Based on their pleas, EFCC Counsels, M.E Eimonye and E.K Garba prayed the court to convict them accordingly.
In his ruling, Justice Khobo convicted and sentenced Kingsley and Wobin to three years imprisonment each. They were also offered an option of a fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand) each.
The judge ordered them to forfeit the phones used to commit the crimes to the Federal Government.
The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre started when they were arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC, based on credible intelligence on their involvement in cybercrimes in the Kaduna metropolis. They were subsequently charged to court and convicted.
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