By Our Reporter
The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced three internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, stating that the trio were convicted by Justice Maureen Oyetenu.
He said they were sentenced on Monday, July 21, 2025, after pleading guilty to separate count charges bordering on internet fraud, following their arraignment by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the commission.
The convicts are Emmanuel Okwa, Felix Akaninyene Tom, and Ubok Ubong Edet.
One of the charges read: “That you, Emmanuel Okwa (aka Jennifer Aniston) “M” sometime in 2024, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently presented yourself as Jennifer Aniston on the social media with intent to gain advantage for yourself, did take possession of the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1500) knowing that the money formed part of the proceed 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.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them, prompting the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, to review the facts of the case and pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
However, defence counsel Sampson Awuje, Metti Monday Ukpeh, and Nyebu Johnson urged the court to impose lighter sentences on the defendants.
Following arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, Justice Maureen Oyetenu delivered judgement, convicting and sentencing the defendants accordingly.
Emmanuel Okwa received a sentence of one year’s imprisonment, with the option of paying a fine of two million naira (N2,000,000). The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone and Samsung mobile devices to the Federal Government.
Felix Akaninyene Tom and Ubok Ubong Edet were each handed a six-month jail term, with the alternative of a five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) fine. Both men were further directed to forfeit a Tecno Camon 18 Spark and a Tecno Pro 10 Spark phone, respectively, with the devices to be sold and the proceeds paid into the EFCC’s Proceeds of Crime Account.
The trio were arrested by operatives of EFCC, over internet-related offences and were subsequently arraigned and convicted.
