Court jails eight for internet fraud in Uyo

Eight internet fraudsters have been sentenced to jail by the Federal High Court, Calabar, Cross River State.

The convicts are Abasiofon Daniel Essien (otherwise known as Jason Momoa), Gideon Junior, Edikan Ubong, Harrison Chiemelie, Ndifereke Umoh, Christopher Promise, Effiong Wisdom and Godswill Nsikan.

They were prosecuted by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-graft agency said in a statement on Saturday.

Charges

The eight were charged separately for criminal impersonation, identity theft and obtaining by false pretence. All of them pleaded guilty, according to the statement by the EFCC.

One of the charges against Mr Essien reads: “That you, Abasiofon Daniel Essien (aka Jason Momoa) sometime in 2023, in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court did take possession of $300 (Three Hundred US dollars) intentionally, knowing that the money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: Identity theft and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under the Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”

One of the charges against Mr Wisdom reads: “That you, Effiong Wisdom “M” (aka Pamela Randy) sometime in November 2023, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did fraudulently present yourself as Pamela Randy to Michael Moore on the social media platform: Facebook/Instagram with intent to gain advantage for yourself did take possession of the sum of $170 (One Hundred and Seventy United States Dollars) knowing that the money formed part of the proceed of an unlawful act to wit: impersonation thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”

The prosecution counsel, Khamis Mahmud had tendered the fraudsters’ confessional statements and incriminating contents of their mobile phones to the court as evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Conviction, sentencing

The judge, Rosemary Oghoghorie, convicted and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each.

Justice Oghoghorie gave Umoh, Promise, Chiemelie and Nsikan the option to pay a fine of N2 million each while Junior, Essien and Ubong were given the option to pay a fine of N1.5 million each. Wisdom was given the option to pay a N1 million fine.

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In addition, Essien, Junior, Ubong and Chiemelie are to restitute $100, $300, $170 and N140,000.00 respectively to their victims, while Umoh, Promise, Wisdom and Nsikan will restitute $70, $140, N100,000.00 and Nsikan $50 respectively to their victims.

Furthermore, they forfeited their phones, which were the tools of their crimes, to the government.

All the convicts were arrested by operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC.