A total of ten (10) internet fraudsters better known as “Yahoo Boys” have been convicted and sentenced to one-year imprisonment each by Justice F. Riman of the Federal High Court sitting at Awka, Anambra State.
Their conviction was secured by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday.
The fraudsters, Chisom Simon Ikenyiri, Ugwuanyi Innocent, Ifeanyichukwu Nnaji Christian, Matthew Izuchukwu Ofoha, Chimamkpa Godwill Osakwe, Uwandu Bright, Uchechukwu Franklin Nwaodu, Emmanuel Aniweke Mmesoma, Edeh Kelechukwu bethel, and Onu Chinedu Joshua, were convicted on separate charges bordering on bordering on fraudulent impersonation.
The charge against Chisom Simon Ikenyiri (a.k.a. Olivia Scarllet) reads, “that you, Chisom Simon Ikenyiri sometime between January 2022 and April, 2023 in Owerri within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Olivia Scarllet of the United States of America, via a fake Facebook account with intent to gain advantage for yourself from unsuspected victims of the false pretext of being in a romantic relationship with your victim, and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22 (a)& (b) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act , 2015 and punishable under section 22 (4) of the same Act”.
The charge against Edeh Kelechukwu Bethel reads, “that you, Edeh Kelechukwu Bethel sometime in April, 2023 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Jessica Forex and Signal Express by means of your iPhone 14 Pro through your fake Telegram account with the intent to gain advantage to yourself, a pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22 (a)& (b) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 22 (4) of the same Act”.
All ten defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them.
“Justice Riman convicted and sentenced them to a one-year imprisonment each,” a statement issued by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren reads.
In other news, Kanyi Daily reported how a suspected fraudster, Eze Harrison Arinze, duped his victims from 13 countries in a Bitcoins scam.