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| The suspects |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office has secured five separate convictions that involved Orji Uchenna, Chime Isaiah, Ogbu Obinnna, Dunu Franklyn Tochukwu and Victor Patrick before Justice N.I Buba of Federal High Court, sitting in Enugu, the Enugu State capital on five separate one-count charge, which all bordered on internet fraud.
The convicts all pleaded guilty when their separate one-count charge was read to them respectively.
Investigations by the EFCC revealed that the convicts were in the habit of using fraudulent names and emails to defraud unsuspecting citizens of foreign countries.
Orji was found to have represented himself as George Terry Williams, a British widower in the Internet and knowingly sent the identity through his Whatsapp to Novelette Lothian.
Similarly, Dunu represented himself to be Rafiek Rafiek, Dimitri Folly-Adjo and Philipe Williams Paul, in the Internet and knowingly sent same through his FaceBook account- Philipe Williams Paul to one Mrs. Galina Kabarcekov.
Ogbu in his part, represented himself to be Rev. Father Micheal Donatus, a priest in the Internet and knowingly, sent a message through his email to one Kris Mohanpersad, while Chime who also represented himself as Russell March, an American and knowingly sent a message through an email account:[email protected] to several individuals.
The prosecution counsel, Dalyop Eunice Vou in view of the guilty plea of the convicts, asked the court to sentence them based on the plea bargain agreement they entered with the Commission.
The defense counsel, Ernest O. Isiewu, however, asked the court to temper justice with mercy on the grounds that the convicts were all first offenders.
The presiding judge, Justice N.I Buba, found them guilty and sentenced them to one month imprisonment respectively. He equally ordered that the iphones and laptops recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
