A High Court in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced one female and three male internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts; Joy Righteous, Bilbert Sabo, Godwill Dikko and Ransom Joash Destiny were arrested and arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on one-count separate charges bordering on internet fraud.
According to a statement issued on Friday, the EFCC said while Sabo and Righteous were arraigned before Justice Isiaka, Dikko and Destiny were arraigned before Justice Bello.
The lone count against Sabo read: “That you Bilbert Sabo (a.k.a Amelia Karim) sometime in December 2023 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court with intent to defraud, impersonated one Amelia Karim (a United States of America citizen) using your Facebook account, a social media platform and in such assumed character attempted to cheat unsuspecting foreigners when you knew you were not, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under the same law.”
He pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him, prompting prosecution counsel, E.K Garba, to urge the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Isiaka convicted and sentenced him to two years imprisonment or an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira). Apart from his prison term, he forfeited the tool of his crime, an iPhone 11 to the Federal government.
Righteous also pleaded guilty to her one-count charge when it was read to her, prompting prosecution counsel, M.U Gadaka, to urge the court to convict and sentence her accordingly.
Justice Isiaka convicted and sentenced her to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only).
Besides her prison term, she forfeited the tool of her crime, an Infinix S5 Pro phone to the Federal Government.
Similarly, Justice Bello convicted and sentenced Dikko and Destiny to two years imprisonment each or a fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) respectively for cheating by impersonation.
“Sabo presented himself on Facebook as Ameila Karim, a US Citizen from Ogden, Utah to advertise a fraudulent Bitcoin business and non-existing sports equipment to defraud her victims. On her own part, Righteous assumed two false identities to misrepresent herself to unsuspecting victims and in the process defrauded them.
“Dikko presented himself on Facebook as Chome Chai, a Thailand citizen and used the fake identity to advertise a fraudulent clothing business to unsuspecting members of the public while Destiny assumed the identity of an American citizen, William Justice on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, with which he successfully defrauded one Mrs. Valerie Harvey, a US citizen of $250 in a love scam,” the EFCC stated.
