A young man, Ohaguim Emmanuel has been sentenced to one year prison term by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, over for dating scam.
Trial judge was Justice Deinde Dipeolu.
Emmanuel, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 19, 2024, on two-count charges bordering on cybercrime.
He pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
After his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, A. Wara, called on Usman Ahmed, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
Usman told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in October, 2023, following credible intelligence received by the commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in Fine County Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State.
According to him, an iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone X and Mercedez Benz C300 were recovered from him at the point of arrest.
“Upon his arrest, he was duly processed and the defendant volunteered his statements.
“Investigations were conducted and forensic evidence were printed out from his phone.
“In his statement, he confessed he was into dating scam. Wara further told the court that the defendant confessed to have benefited $950 and N3.2million from his involvement in the criminal activity,” he added.
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Wara sought to tender, in evidence, the defendant’s extrajudicial statements, some items recovered from him: iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone X and forensic investigation documents print out.
They were all admitted as exhibits by the court.
Justice Dipeolu, consequently, convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment, with an option of fine of N200,000.
The court also ordered that the mobile phones and Mercedes Benz C300 recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The charge for which the convict was prosecuted, reads: “That you, Ohaguim Emmanuel, sometime in October, 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently impersonated one “Benjamin Valdez” by holding yourself out as such on your Google Account and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
