Justice C.L. Dabup of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, today July 7, 2021 sentenced three internet fraudsters, Nbubuisi Kerian Ozomba, Paul Obide and Samuel Chukwuebuka Nduchukwe to one-month imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretence through the social media platform, Facebook.
The trio were arrested in a sting operation by the Abuja Zonal Office of the EFCC following intelligence on their alleged involvement in internet-related scam.
Investigation revealed that Ozomba created a Facebook Account with the name James Hicks with a profile picture of an America military officer and obtained the sum of $350 USD from Mary Lovely, a Filipino; while Obide (alias Javier Espinal) posed as a military officer from Spain and obtained $2000 from another Filipino, Lovina. He claimed the said sum was for treatment of his sick daughter.
Nduchukwe also created a Facebook Account with the name Alpha Benedict of the United States Army serving in Afghanistan and used same to defraud Christy Serue from the Philippines of $510.
They pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charges preferred against them.
EFCC counsel S.N. Robert urged the court to convict and sentence them in accordance with the plea bargain agreement they voluntarily entered with the Commission.
The Court consequently sentenced them to a month in prison. They were however given the option of a fine of N150, 000 naira each.