7th April, 2022
By Patience Yakubu
Justice M.T.M. Aliyu of Kaduna High Court on Thursday sentenced one Mark Paul to one-year imprisonment for internet fraud.
Aliyu sentenced Paul after he pleaded guilty to the allegation of internet-related fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He, however, gave the convict an option of N300,000 fine and also ordered him to restitute the sum of 2,000 dollars to one David Fred (his victim).
Aliyu ordered the forfeiture of two HP laptops, a printer and two iPhone X, being items recovered from the convict to the Federal Government.
Earlier, the EFCC counsel, P. C. Onyeneho, had told the court that the convict was arrested by operatives of the Commission, during sting operations.
Onyeneho said the convict was arrested based on intelligence information received on his internet-related fraud activities.
According to him, the convict fraudulently presented himself as Peter Weller, an American Bitcoin manager, to his victim, one David Fred, on Facebook and Instagram and obtained the sum of 2,000 dollars.
He said that on receiving the Intelligence, the convict was arrested at his residence at Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 22 (2) (b)(i) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act 2015.