Two Internet fraudsters jailed seven years in Kaduna

A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, Kaduna State capital, has sentenced two Internet fraudsters, Olayinka Saidu and Adams Shedrack, to five and two years imprisonment respectively for their involvement in cybercrime.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission disclosed this in a statement made available on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

According to the EFCC, the convicts were arrested in Minna, Niger State capital, following intelligence information into their fraudulent activities.

Upon their arrest, they were arraigned before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Kaduna Federal High Court on one count each bordering on impersonation, cybercrime and money laundering.

The statement noted, “Saidu’s charge reads: That you, Olayinka Abdulraheem Saidu (a.k.a Lily Bright), (M), sometime in 2022 at Minna, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, converted the total sum of $100.00 (One Hundred US Dollars) from one Chad Beatty, living in the United States of America, which you reasonably ought to have known that such fund forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (B) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.

That of Shedrack reads: “That you, Adams Shedrack, (a.k.a Kellie Hamza), sometime in September 2024 in Minna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently impersonated one Hamza Topchvev (a German citizen) on Facebook, social media platform, and fraudulently gained advantage for yourself, the total sum of $200 (Two Hundred USD only) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(B)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Subsection 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”

The defendants were said to have pleaded guilty to the counts prompting the prosecution counsel, K.S Ogunlade, to pray to the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Following their guilty plea, Justice Aikawa sentenced Saidu to five years imprisonment while Shedrack was sentenced to two years.

“Justice Aikawa, afterward, convicted and sentenced Saidu to five years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N700,000.00 and convicted and sentenced Shedrack to two years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000.00.

“In addition to their prison terms, they forfeited their communication gadgets, being instruments of their crimes, to the Federal Government,” the statement concluded.