Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City has convicted and sentenced five internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts are Jacob Sunday, Olarenwaju Adewale, Emmanuel Tomiwa Ajayi, Adewale Elufadejin Festus and Seyi Olumeko.
Sunday and Adewale were jailed on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 while the trio of Ajayi, Festus and Olumeko were jailed on Thursday February 29, 2024.
They were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge bordering on possession of fraudulent documents upon arraignment by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The charge against Ajayi reads: “that you Emmanuel Tomiwa Ajayi (m) on or about 12th February, 2024 in Benin City, Edo State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contain a false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.2006 and punishable under section 1(3)of same Act.”
All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsels, I.K Agwai, K. Y. Bello, A.A.Ibrahim to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as they have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice Ikponmwonba convicted and sentenced Sunday, Adewale, Olumeko and Festus to three years imprisonment or a fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) each while Ajayi bagged three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
The judge ordered that the convicts forfeit their phones, balances in their various bank accounts being proceeds of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria. All the convicts are to undertake in writing to be of good behaviour afterwards.
The convicts’ road to the Correctional Centre began following their arrest by operatives of the Benin Zonal Command of the Commission based on actionable intelligence regarding their involvement in fraudulent activities.