The Kaduna Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, secured the conviction of five internet fraudsters better known as Yahoo Boys before Justice Simon Aboki of the Nasarawa State High court, sitting in Lafia, the state capital.
The convicts are: Peter Olu Tsetimi, 32; Edward Yusuf, 26; Adekunle Anderson Ogunbiyi, 24; Isaac Dark Obozokhai, 25; and Samuel Kofi Eruese, 24.
A statement by EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, said their journey to prison followed intelligence report received by the Kaduna Zonal Office of the EFCC, concerning a fraudsters’ syndicate, which was holding sway around Mararaba, Nyanya and Karu axis in Nasarawa State and Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Tsetimi was arraigned on a two-count charge, bordering on cheating by using his Skype account to pose as Gwen Caldwell, an offence which contravenes Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
Yusuf faced a one-count charge of cheating and obtaining by false pretence by feigning to be one Ben M. a geologist at Oil-Dril Corporation of America using a false email account, an offence that contravenes Section 95 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
Ogunbiyi was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cheating by sending scam e-mails using Instagram an offence that is contrary to Section 95 Penal Code Law, Cap 89 Laws of the Northern Nigeria, 1963.
On his part, Obozokhai was arraigned on a one-count charge of cheating by pretending to be one Clark Mullins and and sending scam e-mails through which he defrauded one Lynn Dianna Bowel of USD$5,000, an offence which is contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law, while Eruese was arraigned on a one-count charge of cheating by pretending to be Isaac Lucas and a citizen of Barcelona, Spain residing in Atlanta, Georgia, a false pretence through which he defrauded unsuspecting victims using false e-mail account, an offence that contravenes Section 95 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
They all pleaded guilty to the charges against them. In view of their separate guilty plea, the prosecution team comprising, S. H. Sa’ad, Jamil Musa, Onyeka Ekweozor, Precious Onyeneho, Maryam Lawal and Matiyak John informed the court of a plea bargain agreement they entered with the EFCC and urged that they be convicted accordingly.
The defence counsel, Sule Akome, however, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.
In his judgement, Justice Aboki convicted and sentenced Isaac Dark Obozokhai to one year imprisonment or an option of N50,000 fine, Peter Olu Tsetimi also got one year imprisonment with an option of N20,000 fine.
In the same vein, Adekunle Anderson Ogunbiyi was convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment with N40000 option of fine.
Similarly, Edward Yusuf was also convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of N40,000 fine, while Samuel Kofi Eruese was equally convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment with N40000 option of fine.
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