Justice Nasiru.U. Sadiq of the Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced four internet fraudsters to various terms of imprisonment, for internet fraud and impersonation.
The fraudsters: Alpha Miagon Tingon(a.k.a Jeffrey M. Currie), Bethel Eniola (a.ka. Alex), Ezekiel Isaac, and Benjamin Elijah, were jailed on September 7, 2022, after pleading guilty to one- count separate charge bordering on internet fraud and impersonation, upon their arraignment by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The one- count charge reads: “That you, Alpha Miagon Tingon, sometime between April to August, 2022 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained a total sum of 150 USD (United states dollars) as payment to secure ac”Buffer” from one David Patet when you falsely presented yourself to him as Jeffrey M. Currie, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence of Impersonation contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017”.
The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when it was read to each one of them separately.
Based on their “guilty” pleas , prosecution counsels: M.E. Eimonye and Moses Arumemi prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly but defense counsels: Abu-Usman A, Richard.O. Adedoyin, E.B. Maza, and Nwokoro Oluchi sued for mercy of the court for the defendants, saying that they are remorseful.
Justice Sadiq, thereafter convicted and sentenced Tingon to three months imprisonment without an option of fine. The Apple Iphone XR Ma, Samsung A21S and Nokia Touch phones used to carry out the offence are forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and a sum of $500(Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) returned by the convict was also forfeited to the government.
Eniola was convicted and sentenced to three months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) while the Samsung Galaxy S9+ mobile phone used in committing the offence was forfeited to the government.
Both Isaac and Chisom were also convicted and sentenced by Justice Sadiq. While Isaac was sentenced to five years imprisonment, with an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), Chisom was sentenced to three months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira). Isaac also forfeited an Apple Iphone 11pro and Infinix X5 Lite phone to the government and the sum of $350 ( Three Hundred and Fifty United States Dollar) also forfeited to the government.
All the convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC, for internet-related offences. They were investigated, prosecuted and convicted.