Two internet fraudsters were on Tuesday sentenced each to one-year imprisonment with the option of a fine of N500, 000 (five hundred thousand naira only) and community service for two weeks within the court’s jurisdiction.
They were also ordered to forfeit their phones to the Federal Government and restitute the various sums they benefitted to their victims.
The convicts Michael Kenneth Goodluck and Ojinnaka Malachy were charged by a Federal High Court sitting in Calabar for internet-related offenses by impersonating Roberto Enrique and Caleb Ini. While defrauding their victims, Goodluck pretended to be Roberto, while Malachy presented himself as Caleb, and together they defrauded Hoovey and Maya on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Goodluck defrauded his victim of $1000 while Malachy nabbed $250 from his own victim.
One of the charges reads: “That you Michael Kennet Goodluck sometime in 2022 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently presented yourself as Roberto Enrique to the duo of Hoovey and Maya on Facebook and fraudulently obtained the sum of One Thousand dollars ($1,000) and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) & (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 and punishable under 22 (b) and (iv) of the same Act”.
S. R. Akinrinlade, the prosecuting team urged the court to convict and sentence the duo accordingly, this was after reviewing the facts surrounding their two cases.
After listening to the count charged them bordering on impersonation and obtaining money by false pretense, they both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to be jailed.
The two were nabbed at different locations by the operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – EFCC.
One was caught at Akwa-Ibom and the other in Delta State.
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