A Kano State High Court has sentenced two individuals, Benjamin Okechukwu Udeagwu and Benjamin Amos Olamide, to three years imprisonment for internet-related offenses.
The defendants pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of internet fraud brought against them by the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The charge against Udeagwu stated that he obtained the sum of $50 by fraudulently impersonating as Brad George, a citizen of the United States of America, with the intent to defraud. The charge against Olamide accused him of dishonestly inducing unsuspecting victims to deliver a total sum of $500 to him, pretending to be Terry Vince, through a gmail account with a false identity.
The EFCC’s counsels urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants based on their guilty pleas. The defense counsels appealed for leniency, emphasizing that the defendants were first-time offenders who regretted their actions.
Justice Ibrahim Musa Karaye convicted and sentenced Udeagwu to one year imprisonment or a fine of N20,000. Olamide received a two-year prison sentence with an option of a N20,000 fine.
