Three (3) internet fraudsters popularly known as “Yahoo Boys” were on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 convicted and sentenced to various terms of community service on internet-related offences.
Court Jails Three Internet Fraudsters In Abuja
The trio is Nwani Chukwuma, Opara Emeka Peter and Moses Igomah Okini.
They were handed down the sentences by Justice J.O.E. Adeyemi- Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Maitama, after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge bordering on impersonation upon arraignment by the Abuja Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A statement made available to Kanyi Daily, signed by Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren on Wednesday evening, said the trio pleaded guilty to the one-count charge when it was read to them.
“Justice Adeyemi convicted and sentenced Chukwuma to clean the FCT High Court, Maitama, for five hours a day for a period of twenty one(21) days. He convicted and sentenced Peter to one month imprisonment and ordered him to serve as a clerical officer of the prosecution counsel for twenty(20) days. Also, he was ordered to depose to an affidavit of good behaviour. Additionally, the judge released his phone and drone seized at the time of his arrest,” Uwujaren said.
“Okini was also convicted and sentenced to fourteen(14) days of cleaning the court premises. He is also to depose to an affidavit of good behaviour.”
According to him, the convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre and community service began when they were arrested by operatives of the Abuja Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences.
He said Chukwuma, in June 2022, made efforts to cheat one Florita, a Spanish citizen by representing himself on two social media apps as one Goodwill Chigo and Pablo Dennis, an American engineer living in Los Angeles. Peter, on the other hand, pretended to be one John, a military personnel based in Afghanistan, in an attempt to defraud his victims while Okinni impersonated one Eliana Harold, an American military woman.
In the meantime, Kanyi Daily had reported that operatives of Benin zonal command of the anti-graft agency arrested four suspected “Yahoo Boys” in Benin City, Edo State on Wednesday, August 24th.
The commission said it recovered three cars, laptops and mobile phones from them, saying they will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.