Court jails 12 Internet fraudsters in Adamawa
Abdullateef Fowewe
Justices Kayanson Lawanson, Hammed Isha, Benjamin Lawal and Mohammed Tola of the Adamawa State High Court, Adamawa State have convicted and sentenced 12 internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts according to a statement by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Sunday, identified as Oladele Pius, Emmanuel Bulus, Elijah Elisha, Alamin Mohammed Bappa, Jamilu Usman, Enoch Solomon, Emmanuel Anthony, Enebeli Samuel Israel, Dimas Hyellabulatin, Emmanuel Dike , Joshua Umoru and Dan Eden Sunday.
The anti-graft agency stated that the convicts were separately arraigned between November 6 and 7, 2024 on a one count charge of cheating and impersonation by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
The charge against Alamin Muhammad Bappa reads, “Alamin Muhammad Bappa sometimes in September, 2024 at Sangere area of Modibo Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud one Amity Shane and other unsuspecting foreign nationals, created some fake Gmail’ and Facebook accounts using the name Jacob sermon to pose as a cybersecurity professional that helps people to recover their compromised or blocked Facebook accounts for a service fee of $20 each and thereby committed an offense of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 314 of Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018 and punishable under Section 315 of the same law”.
While the charge against Oladele Pius reads, “ that you Oladele Pius sometimes in September, 2024 in Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being a student of Modibo Adamawa University of Technology Yola, with intent to defraud, did cheat by Impersonation, Having created and operating one Mr. Legit Hassan Abbadin a foreign national with Whatsapp account No. +1 (842) 921332016, through your Your iphone 11 Model No. MWNC2CH/A for ” a virtual funds transactions” with a motive of gaining a financial advantage from other unsuspecting internet users and thereby committed an offense of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 314 of Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018 and punishable under Section 315 of the same law.”
Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, prompting prosecution counsel Saad .H Sa’ad and M.D Aliyu to pray the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly; however, counsels to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Lawanson thereafter convicted and sentenced Bulus, Elisha, Usman and Israel to ten years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each.
However, Hyellabulati bagged five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.
Justice Tola convicted and sentenced Dike, Umoru, Sunday and Pius to five years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N2,000,000 each.
Justice Lawal convicted and sentenced Bappa and Solomon to five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each.
Justice Isha convicted and sentenced Anthony to ten years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.00.
The Judges ruled that the mobile phones recovered during investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria .
In addition, Justice Lawal ordered that the sum of $20 recovered during investigation from Bappa and being proceeds of crime, be returned to the victim.
“The convicts were arrested on September 24, 2024 around Modibo Adamawa University of Technology area of Yola, Adamawa State by operatives of the Commission following actionable intelligence linking them with cybercrimes activities. They were charged to court and convicted,” the EFCC stated.
