… Four Suspected Fraudsters Arraigned in Uyo
By Our Reporter
The Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday May 12, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of one internet fraudster Ogagarojo Godstime a.k.a Alex Gonzalex before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Calabar, Cross River State.
Godstime was prosecuted on two count-charges bordering on criminal impersonation on the cyber space.
One of the charge reads, ‘That you, Ogagarojo Godstime (aka Alex Gonzalex ) “M” sometime in 2024, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently present yourself as Marc Labelle on the social media with intent to gain advantage for yourself, did take possession of the aggregate sum of Four Hundred United Sate Dollars ($400) knowing that the money form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit; cyber impersonation and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act’
Godstime pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel Khamis Mahmud to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Mahmud also informed the court that the convict had restituted the sum of $400(Four Hundred United States Dollars) through the Commission. He also urged the court to grant a forfeiture of the convict’s iphone 11 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
After listening to the prosecution, Justice Ojukwu convicted Godstime and sentenced him to twelve(12) months jail term on each count to run concurrently, or to pay a fine of N800, 000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) and to forfeit the IPhone 11 device used in committing the crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a related development, the Directorate also arraigned three suspected internet fraudsters and one foreign currency dealer before Justice Sergius Onah of the Federal High Court Uyo on Monday May 12, 2025.
The suspected internet fraudsters are; Inemesit Asuquo Bassey, Franklin Edet Eyo and Chukwudi Patrick Ahiahwo. The alleged illegal foreign currency dealer is Kassim Mohammed.
At the time of his arrest, Mohammed was in possession of various currencies such as; the United States Dollars USD, Philippines Dalawampung Piso, Japanese Nippon Ginko, Swaziland Emalangeni, Gambia Dalasis and Chinese Yuan, but had no valid license from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He pleaded guilty to a one- count charge preferred against him by the Commission for operating a Bureau de change business without an appropriate licence.
The charge reads: ‘That you, Kassim Muhammed “M” sometime in May, 2024 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without a company duly incorporated in Nigeria and without a valid license granted to you by the Central Bank of Nigeria, did conduct business of other financial institutions to wit: Bureau de change and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57 (5) (b) of the same Act’.
In view of his ‘guilty’ plea, prosecution counsel, Barrister Joshua Abolarin prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant. “My Lord, may I apply that the defendant be convicted as charged due to his plea and the facts presented before this Honourable Court. Also, that the currencies tendered as exhibits be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria”, he said.
The defence counsel Chigozie Ogunji did not oppose.
Justice Onah adjourned the matter for judgment while the defendant was remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service centre in Uyo.
Mohammed was arrested on Friday May 17, 2024 by Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Commission, at Aba in Abia State.
Similarly, Bassey also pleaded ‘guilty’ to the two-count charges preferred against him by the Commission for criminal impersonation and defrauding one Joy Thompson (a Hungarian) of the sum of €150 (One Hundred And Fifty Euros) using fictitious social media handles.
One of the charges reads; ‘That you, Asuquo Enemesit Bassey “M” sometime in 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court did take possession and control of £150 (One Hundred and Fifty Euros) intentionally knowing that the money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit; obtaining money by false pretence and thereby committed an-offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and punishable under the Section 18(3) of the same Act’.
Justice Onah suspended judgment to May 22, 2025.
Franklin Edet and Chukwudi Patrick Ahiahwo plead ‘not guilty’ to the two counts and three counts charges bordering on internet fraud preferred against them respectively.
The court adjourned to June 2, 2025, for Edet’s trial, and May 15, 2025, for Patrick’s bail deliberations.
All the defendants were remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
