The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has secured the conviction of five undergraduates for internet related fraud.
The commission in a state issued Friday said those convicted by its Kaduna Zonal Command are: Chidebere Opara (Avail Hollywood); Manasseh Ephraim (aka Felicia_dannyels); Victor Odeh (aka Christopher Anderson); Chukwukere Paul (aka Shaun Lee); and Enyogu Ekpo (aka Henry Wilson; JASDAV7).
It noted that tthe five undergraduates were arraigned before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court on one count separate charge bordering on internet fraud.
They were all arrested in a sting operation in Kaduna. Investigation revealed how they created fictitious accounts on various social media platforms to defraud unsuspecting victims, mostly foreigners.
The agency said their separate one count charge reads: The charge against Chidebere Stanley Opara alleges that the defendant, “sometime in May, 2023 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Avail Hollywood (an American Citizen) on “Google Chat “(an online social media application) and in such assumed character cheated one Duke Hardy””.
The anti-graft agency stressed that their offence wass contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
It added that Victor Odeh was alleged to have, between January and July, 2023 in Kaduna commit an offence to wit: cheating by inpersonation and in such an attempt falsely presented yourself as one Christopher Anderson (a white man from Denver, Colorado, USA) to one Rhonda Evans on ‘facebook’ (an online social media application) in order to cheat her and he thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
The agency said they pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
In the light of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, E.K Garba, M. E Eimonye and K.S Ogunlade urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Khobo convicted and sentenced the defendants to two years imprisonment with an option of N 150,000 fine each.
They are to further forfeit all proceeds of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.