A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has sentenced three internet fraudsters, popularly as ‘yahoo boys’ in the local parlance, to community service.
It was learnt that the convicts were arraigned for fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Abuja Zonal Command.
The EFCC made this known in a statement on Tuesday morning, adding that they were sentenced on Monday.
The EFCC identified the three culprits as: Victor Joseph, Mohammed Edogi Mohammed and Johnson Nifemi.
They were arraigned on one count each bothering on internet fraud.
The statement of the EFCC revealed that Joseph pretended to be a marine engineer named Zhang Li and obtained N150,000 from one Xiao, a Chinese citizen.
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The second suspect, Mohammed, also posed as Bryan Alex on various social media apps and obtained N1,500,000 from Lekin Elli, Williana and Flavio.
While the last suspect Nifemi posed as an American engineer with the name John Alpha and defrauded Jane Appado, a United States of America citizen of $170.
After finding the suspects guilty of the crime they were accused of, Justice A.I. Akobi of the FCT High Court Gwagwalada awarded the sentence of community service.
The statement read, “Three Yahoo Boys Sentenced to Community Service in Abuja The EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command on Monday, February 6, 2023, arraigned three fraud suspects: Victor Joseph, Mohammed Edogi Mohammed and Johnson Nifemi, before Justice A.I. Akobi of the FCT High Court Gwagwalada Abuja on one count charge each, bordering on internet fraud.
“Joseph allegedly pretended to be a marine engineer named Zhang Li and obtained N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) from one Xiao, a Chinese citizen, while Mohammed also posed as a Bryan Alex on various social media apps and obtained N1,500,000 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) from LekinElli, Williana and Flavio.
“Nifemi impersonated one John Alpha, an American engineer and defrauded one Jane Appado, a United States of America citizen of $170 (One hundred and seventy US Dollars).”