Court sentences 8 to jail over internet fraud in Edo

An Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City, presided by Justice A.N. Erhabor, has convicted and sentenced eight to various jail terms over internet fraud.

EFCC identified the convicts as Akhigbe Andrew Okhaifoh, Collins Osagie, Wisdom Imaduerehie, Imade Destiny, Chibueze Onyeji, Edubi Favour, David Precious, and Michael Osas Iguma.

According to the Commission @officialEFCC, they were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges, bordering on impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.

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The charge against Osagie reads: “That you Collins Osagie (m) on or about the 30th of September, 2024 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

All the defendants pleaded “guilty” to their charges when they were read to them, prompting the prosecution counsel, I.M Elodi, K Y. Bello, Isa K. Agwai, A.A. Ibrahim Faisal, A. S. Bala-Ribah and Ahmed Salihu to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that his clients have become remorseful for their actions.

Justice Erhabor convicted and sentenced Okhaifoh, Imaduerehie, Osagie, Onyeji, Favour, Precious and Destiny to two years imprisonment each or to pay a fine N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), respectively, while Iguma bagged three years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N200,000.00.

All the convicts forfeited their phones, laptop computers and money in their bank accounts to the federal government and undertook in writing to henceforth be of good behaviour. Osagie in addition, forfeited a Lexus 2007 RX 350 being proceeds of his crime to the federal government.

Their journey to the Correctional Centre began with their arrest by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC following their involvement in fraudulent internet activities