Justice N.U. Sadiq of the Kaduna State High Court on Monday convicted and sentenced four internet fraudsters to five years imprisonment.
The convicts, Chinedu Prince Omeka, Adamu Eric Mendos, Daniel Andrew, and Elom Vincent Prince, were convicted on one-count charges respectively bordering on impersonation.
They all pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them during the court proceeding.
Based on their pleas, prosecuting counsel, M. Lawal and M.U Gadaka prayed the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Sadiq, thereafter, convicted and sentenced three of the convicts to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N150,000.00 respectively, while Elom Vincent Prince was sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N150,000.00.
The judge ordered Omeka to forfeit one iPhone 11 to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Mendos also forfeited one iPhone 11, Andrew forfeited one iPhone 12 and restituted the sum of $120 to his victim, while Prince forfeited one iPhone 6s to the government.
He was also ordered to restitute the sum of $50 to the victim through the EFCC.
The convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC arrested them at Barnawa, Janruwa and Unguwan Mai Gero axes of Kaduna for internet-related offences. They were later prosecuted and convicted.