The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of two internet fraudsters before Justice A.A Bello of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna.
The convicts: Emmanuel Isaac and Kelvin Ibrahim were jailed on charges bordering on cybercrime activities.
While Isaac was charged on two-count amended charges bordering on cheating by impersonation, Ibrahim was charged on a one-count charge bordering on impersonation. Isaac’s count one reads: “That you Emmanuel Isaac (a.k.a Bea Suzy) (M), sometimes between January and April 2024 at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence, to wit; falsely presented yourself as Bea Suzy; a South Korean actress, to several unsuspecting victims including one David Vargas, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017. Ibrahim’s lone-count charge reads: “that you, Kelvin Ibrahim (a.k.a Susinna Simone) on or about the 25th of April, 2024 at Peace Chalet, Kudende, Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Susinna Simone via your email address privatechat2422@gmail.com and in such assumed character, posted as a fashion model from Italy to the unsuspecting members of the public and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017”.
When the charges were read to them, they both pleaded guilty respectively, prompting the prosecuting counsel M.E Eimonye and M.U Gadaka to pray the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Bello consequently convicted and sentenced Isaac to two years imprisonment on each count or a fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) on each count. He also forfeited one Apple iPhone X phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the EFCC. A sum of N309,850.00 (Three Hundred and Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Naira) recovered from him was also forfeited to the government. Ibrahim, on the other hand, was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment or a fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
He also forfeited One Techno Pop-6 phone and the sum of $100 to the government. The journey to the Correctional Centre started for the two convicts when they were arrested at Kudende, Kaduna State.
They were subsequently investigated and found to be using stolen identities of foreigners to create fictitious social media accounts to defraud unsuspecting victims.
