Justices A. Isiaka and A.A Bello of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna have convicted and sentenced the quartet of Bilbert Sabo, Joy Righteous, Godwill Dikko and Ransom Joash Destiny to various jail terms for internet fraud.
They were arrested and arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC on one-count separate charges bordering on internet fraud. While Sabo and Righteous were arraigned before Justice Isiaka, Dikko and Destiny were arraigned before Justice Bello.
The lone count against Sabo reads: “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.
All four convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC for impersonating foreigners and using their identities to defraud their victims.
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.
In a related development, the EFCC Maiduguri Zonal Command, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, arraigned the duo of Haruna Gora Pama and Kadiri James, before Justice Tijjani G. Ringim of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri.
They were arraigned on two-count charges of money laundering and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N36,247,937.72 (Thirty-Six Million, Two Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira, Seventy-two kobo).
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Haruna Gora Pama, Kadiri James and Peter Katuka, Freedom, Monday Ekoja George, Abdulmajid Khamis, and David Potter (all now at large) sometime in June 2022, at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to do illegal act, to wit: conspiracy to commit money laundering and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 (as amended) respectively.”
Count two reads: “That you, Haruna Gora Pama, Kadiri James and Peter Katuka, Freedom, Monday Ekoja George, Abdulmajid Khamis and David Potter (all now at large) sometime in June 2022, at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, directly converted the aggregate sum of N 36, 247, 937. 72 (Thirty-Six Million, Two Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira, Seventy-two kobo) which you ought to know that it formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them. Thereafter, prosecution counsel, Faruk Muhammad prayed the court for a trial date and for them to be remanded in a Correctional Centre. Justice Ringim remanded them in a Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till February 1, 2024, for trial.
