On Monday, Justice N.U. Sadiq of the Kaduna State High Court handed down sentences of five years in prison to four online scammers.
One-count accusations of impersonation were used to get convictions for Chinedu Prince Omeka, Adamu Eric Mendos, Daniel Andrew, and Elom Vincent Prince.
When the charges were read to them in court, they all entered guilty pleas.
Prosecutors M. Lawal and M.U. Gadaka asked the court to find them guilty based on their arguments.
After a trial, Justice Sadiq handed down sentences of two years in jail with the possibility of a fine of N150,000.00 to three of the defendants, including Elom Vincent Prince, and three years in prison with the possibility of a fine of N150,000.00 to the fourth defendant, also named Vincent.
The judge issued an order compelling Omeka to turn over one iPhone 11 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Mendos gave up an iPhone 11 and an iPhone 12 to the authorities; Andrew gave back $120 to his victim and gave up an iPhone 12; Prince gave over an iPhone 6s to the government.
He was also told to pay back $50 to the victim through the EFCC.
The prisoners started their journey to the Correctional Centre when operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC detained them at Barnawa, Janruwa and Unguwan Mai Gero axes of Kaduna for internet-related offences. They ended up being tried in court and convicted.
