Two of the fraudsters from Lagos Richie Ojegba top left and Abdullahi Abubakar, top right, Alfred John Ovie Ogo, left below and Umah Khalifa, bottom right
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Sokoto Zonal office on Thursday secured the conviction of five internet fraudsters: Alfred Stephen, Onyebuchi Joseph Elijah ( a.k.a Svenulrich), Usman Mustapha, Abdullahi Abubakar (a.k.a Shine Eye) and Umar Khalifa on separate charges before Justice Muhammad Muhammad of the Sokoto State High Court, Sokoto.
They were prosecuted on a one count charge each bordering on conspiracy and cheating.
The charge against one of the defendants reads, “that you Alfred Stephen, sometime in 2021 at Sokoto, within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice of Sokoto State did fraudulently cheated one Grazyna, a Belgium national; Alfansina, an Italian and Janny, a Dutch woman by dishonestly deceiving them to collect the total sum of €19,500 Euros (Nineteen Thousand Five Hundred Euros) by presenting yourself to them as an American serving in Syria and sending documents of false pretenses to them which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of cheating contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law 2019 and punishable under Section 311 of the same Law”.
Upon arraignment, they pleaded ‘guilty’ to the separate charges.
In view of the defendants’ plea, the prosecuting counsel, S. H. Sa’ad who appeared with Musa Mela Gwani and Habila Jonathan asked the court to convict and sentence the defendants.
However, the defence counsel, Shamsu Dauda, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his clients were first time offenders who have become remorseful. He also told the court that the convicts are ready to restitute their victims.
Justice Muhammad, thereafter convicted and sentenced the 1st defendant (Alfred Stephen) to Five (5) years imprisonment with option of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000.00) fine.
He ordered the convict to restitute the sum €19,500 (Nineteen Thousand Five Hundred Euros) to the victim through EFCC.
The 2nd defendant, Onyebuchi Joseph Elijah (a.k.a Mr. Svenulrich) was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of N150,000.00 fine. The convict is also to restitute the victim the sum of €1,750.00.
The 3rd defendant, Usman Mustapha was sentenced to five (5) years imprisonment with an option of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000.00) fine.
He is to restitute the sum Five Thousand Denmark Krone which is equivalent to Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira only (N310,000) to the victim.
The 4th and 5th defendants, Abdullahi Abubakar (a.k.a Shine Eye) and Umar Khalifa were convicted and sentenced to Three years imprisonment each with an option of N100, 000.00 fine.
On the sameThursday the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, secured the conviction and sentencing of Joseph Worhabiko Adele (a.k.a Joseph Azunda), Richie Edward Ojeba and John Ovie Ogo for N65million fraud before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The convicts began their journey to prison after they were found to have connived to defraud Dr. Joseph Mekiliuwa, Managing Director, Wealth Builders Technical Services, through a phantom contract they claimed Total Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited was offering for the installation of Solar Panels at Egi Community in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
They were first arraigned in September 2020 on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining by false pretence, to which they pleaded “not guilty”.
However, on June 17, 2021, they changed their plea to “guilty” when they were re-arraigned before the trial judge on an amended three-count charge.
One of the counts reads: “Joseph Worhabiko Adele (a.k.a Joseph Azunda), Richie Edward Ojeba, John Ovie Ogo, Beauty Wugate Adele (still at large), and Hajia Jemila Yunusa (still at large) sometime in March 2019 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired to steal the sum of N65,070,000 (Sixty-Five Million and Seventy Thousand Naira) property of Dr. Joseph Mekiliuwa, Managing Director, Wealth Builders Technical Services.”
The second defendant, Ojeba, was further accused in count three of possessing fraudulent documents used to perpetrate the fraud.
The offences are contrary to Sections 278, 285, 318, and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Following their guilty plea, prosecuting counsel, S.O. Daji, informed the Court that the amended information brought before the Court was pursuant to a plea bargain agreement between the prosecution and the defence.
In reviewing the facts against the defendants, Daji told the Court that the EFCC received a petition from the complainant in January 2020 accusing the defendants along with others of defrauding him.
“Investigation was subsequently carried out and it was discovered that the complainant was defrauded of N65,070,000, with the three defendants being beneficiaries of the fraud,” he said.
Daji also told the court that, while the first defendant benefited N13, 806,000, both the second and third defendants benefited N22, 350,000 and N22, 150,000, respectively.
He further informed the Court that “ As part of the plea bargain, the first defendant has so far refunded N6million to the complainant; the second defendant has so far refunded N20million, while the third defendant has refunded N12,500,000.”
He, thereafter, tendered in evidence the statements made by the convicts to the EFCC as well as the fraudulent documents obtained from the third defendant.
The documents were admitted by the Court as exhibits against them.
Daji further prayed the Court to forfeit to the Federal Government a laptop computer recovered from them.
“I adopt the plea bargain by both parties and urge the Court to convict them, accordingly,” he said.
In view of the adoption of the plea bargain by both parties, Justice Dada convicted them as charged.
The defendants were all convicted on counts one and sentenced to six months. They were sentenced to one year in prison on counts two. The third defendant was further convicted of count three and sentenced to six months.
The sentences are to run concurrently. They were, however, given an option of N500, 000 in lieu of the jail terms. The Judge also ordered the forfeiture of the laptop to the Federal Government.
