The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has secured the conviction and sentence of ten fraudsters into various jail terms for offences bordering on internet fraud, impersonation and employment fraud.
Our correspondent reports that the fraudsters include Emmanuel Cyriacus , Nelson Yustus , Gabriel Victor Shindu, Daniel Gambo , Miracle Bukar , Mighty Awarri , Jonathan James , Mathias Adams , Sani Safiyanu , and Muazu Shira Mutari.
Shindu , Awarri , Gambo, Bukar , Adams, Yustus , Cyriacus and James
were arraigned on October 16, 2024 before Justices Hammed Isha and Benjamin Lawal of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Yola , Adamawa State. Safiyanu was arraigned on October 14, 2024 on two count – charges of intent to defraud and possession of fraudulent document before Justice Mushkur Salisu of the Federal High Court Jalingo, Taraba State , while Muazu Shira Mutari was arraigned for intent to defraud on October 8,2024 before Justice Muazu Abubakar of the Bauchi State High Court, Bauchi.
This was contained on the commission’s website seen by our correspondent on Friday.
The charge against Yustus reads: “That you Nelson Yustus sometimes in September 2024 in Yola Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud did impersonate by using your iPhone 11 mobile device to chat on Zangi private messenger application with one Art – huff, a foreign national while presenting as Jake’s from Philadelphia USA and in the process gained to your advantage the total sum of $150( One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and also chatted with Cawzia and Pierre on Signal impersonating as a white lady called Comfyprincess from USA and thereby committed an offence of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 314 of Penal code law of Adamawa State 2018 and punishable under Section 315 of same law”.
One of the charges against Safiyanu reads, “That you Sani Safiyanu, male, adult, sometime in 2022 at Taraba within the judicial division of this honorable court did had in your possession documents containing false pretense to wit: Appointment and Congratulatory messages telling people that, they gotten employment with; National Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigeria Police Force via your email addresses; Safiyanusani670@gmail.com, abusafiyanusanikarofi@gmail.com, nschoolfeedingprogram@gmail.com, nigerianinec5@gmail.com, forceheadquartersabuja2020@gmail.com, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges prompting the prosecution counsel, Saad H. Saad to ask the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as their defendants were remorseful of their actions.
Justice Isha convicted and sentenced Shindu , Awari, Bukar and Gambo to ten (10) years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) each.
Justice Lawal convicted and sentenced Yustus , James , Cyriacus to Ten years imprisonment with an option of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine each. However, Adam bagged five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.
Justice Salisu convicted and sentenced Safiyanu to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 on count one and one year imprisonment or a fine of N50,000 on count two. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced Mutari to two years imprisonment with an option of N200,000.
All the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for internet fraud, impersonation and examination fraud. They were charged to court and convicted.
