A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday convicted six internet fraudsters charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC, in a statement said that it has been able to secure the conviction of six internet fraudsters apprehended in 2018.
According to the commission, the convicts are Ufuoma Miracle ( a.k.a Roland Gobalin), Ofomola Omovigho ( a.k.a Doctor), Abraham Idede ( a.k.a Eugene Berry) ,Onatakapoma Julius (a.k.a Chris Roman: Frank Leonard), P. Rarowe (a.k.a Meyers) and Freeborn Efe.
The commission said five of the convicts, Miracle, Rarowe , Julius, Omovigho and Efe were arraigned on charges of impersonating foreign nationals on Facebook and defrauding their female victims in the process.
EFCC added that the sixth defendant, Abraham Dede was arraigned on a count charge of making a false statement and misrepresenting his identity for the purpose of procuring a Facebook account with intent to defraud unsuspecting people.
The Sitting Judge on the case, Emeke Nwite on Monday, November 18 convicted and sentenced five of the defendants to six months imprisonment and a fine of N200,000 each while Ofomola Omovigho was fined N300, 000.
One of the counts reads: “That you Onatakapoma Julius ( a.k.a Be. Chris Roman, a.k.a Frank Leonard) sometime in 2018 at Sapele, Delta State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did with intent to defraud sent electronic messages which materially misrepresent facts to one Linda”.
The commission noted that Linda is a lady from Indonesia who suffered financial loss amounting to the sum of N370,769, 88 only and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14(2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention etc) Act, 2015.
The statement further read that the six convicts pleaded guilty to the charges read to them by the Judge as levied against them by the commission.
EFCC added that the defence counsel, P.E.Ejiga prayed the court to temper justice with mercy as they were first time offenders who are remorseful for their actions.
The prosecution counsel, Fredrick Dibang urged the court to convict the defendants and also prayed the court order the forfeiture of items recovered from the defendants to the Federal Government.
Nwite, therefore, ruled that all items recovered from the convicts during investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
