A Federal High Court in Kaduna, Kaduna State’s capital, sentenced two Internet fraudsters, Olayinka Saidu and Adams Shedrack, to five and two years in jail, respectively, for their involvement in cybercrime.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced this in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
According to the EFCC, the offenders were apprehended in Minna, Niger State’s capital, after intelligence revealed their fraudulent activities.
They were arrested and prosecuted before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Kaduna Federal High Court on one count each of impersonation, cybercrime, and money laundering.
The statement noted, “Saidu’s charge reads: That you, Olayinka Abdulraheem Saidu (a.k.a Lily Bright), (M), sometime in 2022 at Minna, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, converted the total sum of $100.00 (One Hundred US Dollars) from one Chad Beatty, living in the United States of America, which you reasonably ought to have known that such fund forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (B) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
hat of Shedrack reads: “That you, Adams Shedrack, (a.k.a Kellie Hamza), sometime in September 2024 in Minna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently impersonated one Hamza Topchvev (a German citizen) on Facebook, social media platform, and fraudulently gained advantage for yourself, the total sum of $200 (Two Hundred USD only) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(B)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Subsection 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”
The defendants were claimed to have pled guilty to the counts, prompting the prosecution counsel, K.S Ogunlade, to petition the court to convict and sentence them appropriately.
Following their guilty pleas, Justice Aikawa sentenced Saidu to five years in jail and Shedrack to two years.
“Justice Aikawa, afterward, convicted and sentenced Saidu to five years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N700,000.00 and convicted and sentenced Shedrack to two years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000.00.
“In addition to their prison terms, they forfeited their communication gadgets, being instruments of their crimes, to the Federal Government,” the statement concluded.
