By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Twenty nine suspects arrested for internet fraud have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms in Benin City, Edo State after they pleaded guilty to charges filed against them by the EFCC.
The suspects were arraigned before Justices A.N. Erhabor and W. I. Aziegbemhin of Edo State High Courts, sitting in Benin City respectively on separate one-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence, advance fee fraud, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.
The convicts are: Edeyibo Rukewe Hope, Igbafe David, Emakhu Bonfrey, Genesis Ndujifor, Okolosie Godstime, Chukwu David, Ebuka Emmanuel, Akhere Akahomhen, Odiniru Emeka Vet, Obiora Mike Kelvin, Stephen Eghosa, Osagioduwa Samuel Aivihenyor, Lucky Ekhator, Ekechukwu Chima Stanley, Lucky Moses, David Odiniru, Christopher Alex, Orovirie Sunny, Abraham Ifeanyi and Aisosa Vincent.
Others are: Agbede Shola Harrison, Endurance Ebalukpe, Igbiniken Osarvmwense, Okonoboh Senator Odiegie, Joseph Imhangbegbe, Orion Aigbona, Godstime Adebor, Ambrose Otsemeuno and Mattew Obayuywana
The charge against Hope reads: “That you Edeyibo Rukewe Hope (m) on or about the 27th of February, 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession, documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
All the defendants pleaded “guilty” to their charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, F.A Jirbo, K Y. Bello, Isa K. Agwai, Faisal Ibrahim, Al-Amin Ibrahim Abdul, Bala-Ribah and Salihu Ahmed to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice Erhabor convicted and sentenced Hope, David, Bonfrey, David, Emmanuel, Akahomhen, Sunny, Ifeanyi, Vincent, Otsemeuno, Ebalukpe, Harrison, Osarvmwense, Odiegie, Imhangbegbe, Aigbona, Adebor and Obayuywana to two years imprisonment each or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine respectively,
Justice Aziegbemhin convicted and sentenced Ndujifor and Godstime to two years imprisonment each or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine, respectively. The judge slammed Kelvin, Eghosa, Aivihenyor, Ekhator, Stanley, Moses, Osarvmwense, Vet and Alex to two years imprisonment, each or to pay N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) fine respectively,
The judge ordered the forfeiture of a Red Color Mercedes Benz C300 with Registration number BEN258CM recovered from Odiniru Emeka Vet being proceeds of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In addition to their sentences, all the convicts forfeited all items recovered from them to the federal government, including phones, computers, money and cars and undertook in writing to be of good behaviour going forward.
The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began with their arrest in a sting operation by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC following credible intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.
