By Our Reporter
The Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday May 28, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of eleven internet fraudsters before Justices Maurine Adaobi Onyetenu of the Federal High Court Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Justices Ijeoma Ojukwu and Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State.
The convicts are; Shadrack Eliayere Aburu, Nsukak Iko-Edem Effiong, Chukwudi Moses Chimobi, Olenye Benedict Ikwem, Emmanuel Enoabasi Etim, Mgbato Joseph Obi, Godwin Abu, Etim Ememobong,Charlie Victory Augustine, John Uduak Isiodon and Enyia Emmanuel.
All convicts pleaded guilty to the separate charges when they were read to them.
One of their charges reads;
“That you, Nsukak Iko-Edem Effiong (alias Sr. Bains, Ibrahim Hashmi ), on or about November 2024 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained the sum of Five Hundred United States Dollars ($500 USD) from Thar Thaw and other unsuspecting victims under false pretenses, knowing the pretenses to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another reads;
“That you, John Uduak Isiodon (a.k.a. Lilianjoyce Simone Sussina), sometime in 2024 within Nigeria and under the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, fraudulently presented yourself as Lilianjoyce Simone Sussina on social media with intent to gain advantage for yourself, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) (Amendment) Act, and punishable under the same section”.
In view of their guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Ubokudom Enobong and Khamis Mahmud prayed the courts to convict the defendants and sentence them accordingly.
Delivering judgment, Justice Onyetenu convicted and sentenced Nsukak Iko-Edem Effiong to three months jail term or pay a fine of ₦200,000 ( Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) on each of the two counts, while Shadrack Eliayere Aburu was convicted and sentenced to six (6) months jail term or to pay a fine of ₦500,000 ( Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) on both counts.
At Calabar, Justice Ojukwu convicted five of the defendants and sentenced each of them to twelve (12) months jail terms, with the following options; Chukwudi Moses Chimobi to pay a fine of ₦800,000 ( Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) and restitute the sum of $500( Five Hundred Dollars only) Olenye Benedict Ikwem was given the option of a fine of ₦500,000. Emmanuel Enoabasi Etim to pay a fine of ₦800,000 and restitute the sum of $350( Three Hundred and Fifty Naira) Mgbato Joseph Obi got a fine of ₦800,000; and Godwin Abu was ordered to pay a fine of ₦800,000.
Justice Dugbo-Oghoghorie convicted four of the defendants and sentenced each of them to two years jail term with the following fine options; Etim Ememobong got a fine of ₦1,000,000 ( One Million Naira only) and a restitution of $70 ( Seventy Dollars) Charlie Victory Augustine was given the option to pay ₦1,000,000 and restitute $200( Two Hundred Dollars) John Uduak Isiodon was given a fine option of ₦1,000,000; while Enyia Emmanuel got a fine of ₦1,500,000 ( One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) and to restitute $650( Six Hundred and Fifty Dollars)
They were ordered to forfeit all gadgets used in committing the crimes to the Federal Government.
The convicts were arrested at different locations within Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, following intelligence and months of surveillance by operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate. They were charged to court and convicted.
