A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna has convicted five persons for internet fraud and obstruction.
Trial judge in the matter is Justice N. Sadiq.
The convicts are Miracle Osag (a.k.a Cynthiaray), Joshua Omotayo ( a.k.a Christopher Wittland), Victory James ( a.k.a Michael Lan Rosales), Yunus Abdulwasiu ( a.k.a Gloria Mathew) and Anita Yusuf.
They were convicted by the court, following their prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which arraigned them on a two count charge of fraud and obstruction.
It was gathered that they were arrested at different locations in Kaduna based on intelligence indicating that they defrauded unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.
The charges against one of the convicts, read: “That you, Miracle Osag ( a.k.a Cynthiaray) sometime in July, 2023 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this court did commit an offence to wit; cheating by impersonation wherein you falsely presented yourself as one Cynthiaray on Instagram, an online social media platform and in such assumed identity, cheated one John Morgan the total sum of $120 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
That against another convict, read: “That you, Yunus Abdulwasiu (a.k.a Gloria Mathew) between January and April, 2023 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this court, obtained the total sum of $150 from one Andrea Werner when you presented yourself as Gloria Mathew a white woman from Portland Oregon via Facebook ( a social media application) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law”.
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The all pleaded guilty to the charges.
Consequently, the prosecuting team led by M. Lawal urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Sadiq convicted and sentenced James, Osag, and Omotayo to two years imprisonment or an option of N 150,000 fine, while Abdulwasiu was sentenced to one year imprisonment without option of fine. Anita Yusuf was fined N 20,000.
The defendants are to forfeit all the devices used in committing the offence to the Federal Government.
