A Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Ibrahim Karaye has convicted and sentenced two fraudsters, Benjamin Udeagwu and Benjamin Olamide, to three years imprisonment for internet-related offences.
In a statement posted on Wednesday via its official social media handle on X (formerly Twitter), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said the two were jailed after separately pleading guilty to a one-count of internet fraud upon their arraignment by the Kano Zonal Command of the EFCC.
The charge against Udeagwu reads, “That you Benjamin 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.”
The charge against Olamide reads, “That you Benjamin Olamide ‘m’ sometime in 2022 at Kano, Kano State, within the jurisdiction of this court, did dishonestly induce unsuspecting victims to deliver to you a total sum of $500 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.”
The EFCC’s counsel, Abubakar Elbadawi and Fatima Mustapha prayed to the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Counsel for the defendants, M.J Ella and M.E Ogah pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that “the defendants were first-time offenders and have regretted their actions.”
Karaye convicted and sentenced Udeagwu to one-year imprisonment or an option of a fine of N20,000.
Olamide, on the other hand, was also convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N20,000.
