Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court
sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has convicted and sentenced
five internet fraudsters to six months jail terms each.
They were jailed on Tuesday July 22, 2025, after
pleading guilty to separate charges bordering on criminal impersonation on the
internet, preferred against them by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The convicts are: Okon Dennis Akpan, Franklin
Agara Mbeh, Peter Chinedu Okpaga, Nwofoke Celestine and Paul Egede Chinedu.
One of the charges reads: 'that you, Nwofoke Celestine
"M" sometime in 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court
did fraudulently impersonate Victoria Chiara on Facebook with the intent to
gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to
Section 22 (2)(b) (i ) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, prevention) Act 2015
and punishable under the same Section'.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges preferred
against them by the Commission, and in view of their pleas, prosecution
counsel, Temiloluwa Oladipupo reviewed the facts of the case and
urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ojukwu immediately convicted and sentenced
each of them to six months jail term and a fine of One Million
Naira (N1,000,000.00) each
They forfeited all items used in committing the crimes
to the Federal Government.
The convicts got to the Correctional Centre when they
were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet crimes. They were charged
to court and jailed.
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