Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu has convicted and sentenced two internet fraudsters, Arinze Johnpaul Chukwudi and Ajah Damian Uchechukwu to jail for fraud.
They were by the prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a separate one-count charge, bordering on cybercrime and conspiracy to commit impersonation.
The charge against Chukwudi reads: “That you, Arinze Johnpaul Chukwudi, (26 years), sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently impersonated the identity of JIMCHO MUN, a male foreigner and military personnel from South Korea, who works as a nurse in Damascus, Syria and residing in the United States of America, through a Facebook account, via your Itel A662L, with intent to obtain money from M Irfan, an unsuspecting foreign national and in order to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act.”
The charge against Uchechukwu reads: “That you, Ajah Damian Uchechukwu (also known as Uchechukwu Damian Ajah, Uche Ajah and Damian Uchechukwu Ajah), Obinna Iro Valentine (already convicted in United States of America), Enuma George (at large) and Patrick Kelechi (a.k.a Pastor Kelechi) sometime in 2017 at Amakohia, Imo State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with fraudulent intent, conspired to commit a felony to wit: impersonation in order to gain $10,452 USD for yourselves from one Ngan Nguyen, a citizen of the United States of America and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) and of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended) and punishable under the same section of the Act.”
They pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to them following which prosecution counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Ajobiewe Rotimi Enitan prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel, Chijoke E. prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing them.
Justice Umar convicted and sentenced Chukwudi to 11 months imprisonment without an option of fine, while Uchechukwu bagged six months imprisonment and to pay a fine of N500, 000.00 (Five hundred thousand Naira).
The convicts who specialized in criminal impersonation of foreign nationals were arrested on May 17, 2024.
In a related development, the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arraigned the trio of Prince Odinaka Ogbu, Nwachukwu Chidalu Prosper and Desmond Okoye Chidera before Justice Umar.
Ogbu is being prosecuted on a separate two-count charge, while Prosper and Chidere are facing a two-count charge, all bordering on cybercrime.
Count one against Ogbu reads: “That you, Prince Odinaka Ogbu, ‘M’ 34 years, sometime in 2024 in Enugu, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, aided Ledata Evans and others at large to commit a felony to wit; Unauthorized Modification of Computer Systems, Network Data and System Interference and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 16 (1) of the same Act.”
Count one against Prosper and Chidera reads: “That you, Nwachukwu Chidalu Prosper and Desmond Okoye Chidera, sometime in 2024 in Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently made use of the electronic mail password of Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Ugochukwu Nwachukwu with the intent to gain advantage for yourselves and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the same Act.”
