Justices M. Adamu and S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court have convicted and sentenced Daniel Akindele and Stephen Chi to various jail terms for internet fraud.
They were jailed on Wednesday, August 27, 2024 upon being arraigned by the Abuja Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on charges bordering on obtaining by false pretences. Four defendants: Daniel Akindele, Achedo Ikechukwu, Kingsley Tobi and Stephen Chi were arraigned before the two judges. However, only two of them, Akindele and Chi pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them.
Akindele’s charge reads, “That you Daniel Akindele sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cheated by personation when you created an email account lewisemily009@gmail.com and Instagram account with the profile name Emily Lewis an American soldier who was on a peacekeeping mission in Syria under the assumed character, obtained the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty American Dollars ($250) from Marcin under the pretense that you are in a romantic relationship with him, a fact you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law”.
Ikechukwu’s charge reads, “That you Aghedo Ikechukwu sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, aided and abetted the Commission of the offence of cheating and creating multiple emails and selling to internet fraudsters to open fake Instagram accounts used to defraud unsuspecting victims by your benefactors who pay you N3000 naira commission on such unlawful transactions of which you have benefited the sum of N270,000 (Two Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 83 (C) of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation (Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 85 of the same Laws.”
Count one of Tobi’s two -count charge reads, “That you, Kingsley Tobi sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your procession fraudulent documents containing false pretense to wit; gmail profile chenajiadwang719@gmail.com printed from your Samsung S9+, a representation you knew or ought to have known to be fraudulent, and you thereby contravened Section 6 and Section 8 (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud Related offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
Chi’s count reads, “That you Stephen Chi sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did attempt to cheat by presenting yourself and created an email account with profile name Nelson Water, a representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code Law (Laws of the Federation, Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.’ He pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him, prompting prosecution counsel J. Audu to pray the court to convict and sentence him”
Both Akindele and Chi pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them while Ikechukwu and Tobi pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them
Justice Adamu thereafter convicted and sentenced Akindele to two years in the Correctional Centre with an option of N900, 000 (Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. He also forfeited his phone to the Federal Government. Similarly, Justice Oriji convicted and sentenced Chi to a one imprisonment or an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. He also forfeited his phone to the Federal Government.
Justice Adamu remanded Ikechukwu in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned his matter to September 4, 2024 for commencement of trial while Tobi was remanded at the Kuje Correctional facility and the matter adjourned till September 9, 2024 for commencement of trial.
The convicts began their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested for internet-related fraud. They were subsequently prosecuted and convicted.
