On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Justices R.M. Aikawa and A. Isiaka convicted and sentenced five internet fraudsters to prison terms in Kaduna, News About Nigeria reports.
Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, sentenced Molwat Terah Sati, Zumshak Paul Wankof, and Chidi Tochukwu Emmanuel.
Meanwhile, Justice Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court convicted Abraham Daniel (a.k.a. Eric Wallace) and Amos Wisdom (a.k.a. Laura Lute).
The convictions were secured by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges related to internet crimes.
Molwat Terah Sati was charged with fraudulently impersonating one Helena Bialas on Facebook to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
His charge read, “That you, Molwat Terah Sati (a.k.a Helena Bialas), sometime in April 2024 at Bankers Apartment, Reyfield, Jos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Helena Bialas on Facebook (an online social media platform) to unsuspecting members of the public with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
Amos Wisdom’s charge involved impersonation and cheating by falsely representing himself as Laura Lute, a pornstar, on Facebook.
He induced unsuspecting victims to send him a total of N3,155,340.
His charge read, “That you, Wisdom (a.k.a. Laura Lute), sometime between April and May 2023 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit: cheating by impersonation when you falsely represented yourself as Laura Lute (a pornstar) on Facebook (an online social media platform) and in such assumed identity induced unsuspecting victims in the public to send to you the total sum of N3,155,340.00 (Three Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty Naira) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, prompting prosecution counsels M.J. Argungu and M. Lawal to urge the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Aikawa sentenced Emmanuel to seven years imprisonment or a fine of N400,000, and Wankof to three years imprisonment or a fine of N450,000.
Additionally, Wankof forfeited $200 to the federal government, and Sati received a three-year prison term or a fine of N400,000.
Similarly, Justice Isiaka sentenced Daniel to three years imprisonment or a fine of N150,000 and Wisdom to five years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.
Wisdom was also ordered to restitute N2,300,000 to his victim.
All convicts forfeited their phones, which were used as tools for their crimes, to the federal government.
The arrests of Sati, Wankof, and Emmanuel took place in Jos, Plateau State, while Daniel and Wisdom were apprehended in Kaduna metropolis, following credible intelligence on their fraudulent internet activities.
