The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of one Peter James on a one-count charge of “impersonation and attempt to cheat”.
James was on January 24, 2019 brought before Justice Modupe Adebiyi, of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Gudu.
He was arrested in connection with some suspicious activities and was investigated by operatives of the EFCC. Investigations revealed that he specializes in defrauding foreigners of their hard earned money, through internet fraud.
Electronic devices recovered from him, which were subjected to forensic analysis revealed incriminating documents, linking him to online fraud. He was discovered to have been parading himself on QQ International, an instant messaging application, as “Barnett Edward” a United States Army who got injured in Afghanistan. This, he did to attract sympathy and defraud unsuspecting people.
The count reads: “That you, Peter James, sometimes in 2018 at Abuja the judicial division of this Honourable Court, did attempt to cheat by personating while representing yourself on QQ International as Barnett Edward, an army officer deployed to Afghanistan and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 324 of penal code, laws of Federation (Abuja) 1990”.
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge.
In view of his plea, prosecuting counsel, Best Ojukwu, urged the Court to convict him accordingly.
Justice Adebiyi, thereafter convicted him, and adjourned to January 31, 2019 for “sentencing
