By Ken Chiwendu
The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of 10 internet fraudsters before Justice M. Itsueli of Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City.
The convicts are: Okoro Emmanuel, Billwise James Dikoru, Enoma Osasumwen, Samson Festus, Godspower Afolorunikon, Omonle Godwin Damien, Sunday Uanseoje, Sylvester Iziren Udu, Ani Emmanuel Chucks and Amilegbe Saviour
They were prosecuted on separate one-count charges, bordering impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, advance fee fraud, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.
The charge against Okoro Emmanuel reads: “That you Okoro Emmanuel (m) on or about the 10th of September, 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession, on your iPhone 11 with IMEI Number 356867116691538, documents which you knew or ought to have known contained a false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
They all pleaded “guilty” to their charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, K.Y. Bello and Isa.K Agwai to ask the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice Itsueli convicted and sentenced all to two years imprisonment, each or to pay N200, 000 (Two hundred Thousand Naira) fine, respectively.
All the convicts forfeited their mobile phones and laptop computers, being tools of their crime and money found in their respective bank accounts, being proceeds of their crimes to the federal government and undertook in writing to be of good behaviour henceforth.
The convicts’ journey to jail began with their arrest by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, following credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities.
In a related development, the EFCC has arraigned arraigned one Ndubisi Kenechukwu Ugonna for $500,000 Fraud.
Ugonna was arraigned before Justice E. Okpe of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gudu, Abuja on a one-count charge, bordering on advance fee fraud and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of $500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).
The charge against him reads: “That you Ndubisi Kenechukwu Ugonna sometime in 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars (500,000.00 USD) from one Kofoworola Olagunju under the false pretence that you had capacity to invest in global security on his behalf and that the investment business was genuine which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) off the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty,” following which prosecution counsel Joshua Saidi asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional centre, while the defence counsel reminded the court of the defendant’s bail application and urged the court to remand him in the custody of the EFCC.
The judge thereafter, adjourned the matter till September 25, 2025 for the hearing on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre.
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