The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of seven internet fraudsters for offences bordering on cheating and obtaining by false pretence.
The convicted fraudsters are Yusuf O. Muhammed, Joseph Opeoluwa, Samuel Chukwudi Okonkwo, Rotimi Tobi Samuel, Oladimeji Mubarak, Blessed Johnson, and Usman Lari.
According to a statement by the EFCC, the convicts were arraigned at various dates in April and May 2025 before different judges across Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba States.
Samuel and Mubarak were arraigned on May 6 before Justice Muazu Abubakar of the Bauchi State High Court. Muhammed, Opeoluwa, and Okonkwo appeared before Justice Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf on May 5. Lari and Johnson were arraigned between April 3 and April 16 before Justices Kereng Abdulhameed in Gombe and Ludukiya Bulila Ikharo in Taraba State.
One of the charges read in court against Rotimi Tobi Samuel stated:
“That you, Rotimi Tobi Samuel, sometime in March 2024 at Bauchi State, with intent to defraud, created a fake Telegram account using the username ‘paigeandpaigechannel’, posed as a female named Paige residing in Alabama, USA, and induced Jack Phillips and Martin Fred (U.S. citizens) to send you $300 via gift cards, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Law.”
All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges. Prosecuting counsels, led by M.A. Aliyu, urged the courts to convict them accordingly, while defence counsels pleaded for leniency.
Justice Abubakar sentenced Samuel and Mubarak to seven years imprisonment each with an option of N500,000 fine.
On May 5, Justice Yusuf sentenced Muhammed to four months imprisonment with a N200,000 fine option, while Opeoluwa bagged six months imprisonment or a fine of N300,000. Okonkwo was fined N50,000 in lieu of six months imprisonment.
Earlier, on April 3, Justice Ikharo sentenced Johnson to four months imprisonment or a fine of N50,000. Justice Abdulhameed, on April 16, sentenced Lari to 12 months imprisonment with an option of N50,000 fine.
The courts further ordered that the sum of $735, recovered during investigations, be used to restitute the victims. Additionally, all mobile phones used in committing the crimes are to be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The EFCC stated that the convictions followed arrests, investigations, and prosecutions of the individuals for online scams and fraudulent activities.
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