A Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Thursday has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to educate a man, Ndubisi Success, convicted for internet fraud on merits and demerits of fraud.
Success was docked by the anti-graft agency for creating an Instagram account for the purpose of inducing unsuspecting people to deliver money to him.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.
Justice Aliyu Shafa convicted him and ordered him to report at the Legal Department of the EFCC for one week from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Shafa said the convict should be educated under the supervision of the Director, EFCC Legal Department, on the merits and demerit of internet fraud and its effect on youths.
“I have carefully listened to the plea of allocutus made by the convict and the defence counsel.
The rate of fraud in the society is so alarming. Cybercrime is a dangerous offence in our society, which must be tackled,” he said.
Earlier, the convict had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, promising not to indulge in such act again.
“I am very sorry, I promise not to engage in such act again. Please have mercy on me,” he said.
The Defence Counsel, Mr Chibuike Chima, in support of the allocutus by the convict, told the court that Success, who had no previous conviction record, was remorseful.
“Success, is a young man who regrets the consequences of his act and has come to realise that there is no excuse for anyone to engage in crime under whatever guise.
“The convict is a young university drop out who could not complete his education as a result of paucity of fund.
“The convict is a first time offender; he has not been convicted for any other crime of whatever kind in Nigeria or elsewhere. We urge my Lord to tamper justice with mercy.
We assure this court that going forward the convict will be of good behaviour,” he said.
The EFCC Counsel, Chidike Obasi-Oko, told the court that Success, sometime in 2022 within the jurisdiction of the Court, made an attempt to commit the offence of cheating.
Obasi-oko said that the convict created an Instagram account for the purpose of inducing people to deliver money or any goods to him.
He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 95 of the Penal Code Act Law of the Federation (Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Act.
He pleaded with the court that the Redmi cell phone, being instrument used for the crime, be forfeited to the Federal Government.
