Two internet fraudsters, Benjamin Okechukwu Udeagwu and Benjamin Amos Olamide, have been sentenced to three years imprisonment by Justice Ibrahim Musa Karaye of a Kano State High Court.
The defendants had earlier pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of internet fraud brought against them by the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The charge against Udeagwu reads, “That You, Benjamin Okechukwu Udeagwu sometime in September, 2023 in Kano within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $50 by fraudulently impersonating as Brad George a citizen of United States of America which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence of cheating by personation contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 324 of same law.”
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The charge against Olamide reads, “That you Benjamin Amos Olamide ‘m’ sometime in 2022 at Kano, Kano State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did dishonestly induce unsuspecting victims to deliver to you a total sum of $500 (Five Hundred dollars only) to you as Terry Vince who lives in United States of America, through a gmail account waytospace420cgmail.com which presence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of cheating contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law of Kano State and punishable under Section 322 of the same law”.
Counsels for the defendants, M.J Ella and M.E Ogah, appealed to the court for leniency, emphasizing that the defendants were first-time offenders who regretted their actions.
EFCC’s counsels, Abubakar Hassan Elbadawi and Fatima Mustapha, prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly based on their guilty pleas.
Justice Karaye convicted and sentenced Udeagwu to one year imprisonment or a fine of N20,000.
Olamide received a two-year prison sentence with an option of a N20,000 fine.