Four-year jail term for two internet scammers in Rivers State

Stanley Ihedigbo

Justice S. Pam of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state has convicted and sentenced two internet Fraudsters: Emmanuel Wisdom and Donald Etege to two years imprisonment each for impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence.

According to the Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Dele Oyewale, they were jailed on Tuesday , October 29, 2024 upon being arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Commission, on one -count separate charge  bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.

The lone count against Eteg’s reads: “That yo Donald Etege sometime in 2024 in Port Harcourt Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with the intent to defraud obtained the total sum of $1,500 from one Lisa

Ricks under the pretence that you are a Bitcoin Trader, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the said Act.

The count against Wisdom reads; That you, Emmanuel Wisdom [a.k.a Sam Freidrich] between the 10th day of August and the 1st day of October, 2024, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the sum of $1,200 from one Tony Grozdan, as investment in cryptocurrency trade, which you claimed to have the capacity to manage and yield profit thereon, which pretext you  knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Same Act.

They both pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them separately.

In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel:  K. W. Chukwuma-Eneh and E. K. Bakam called witnesses, tendered some documents as evidences which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits. They prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

Counsel to the defendants: O. F. Nwogu and C. Christopher did not oppose the prayers by the prosecution. They rather prayed the court to temper justice with mercy stressing that the defendants are first time offenders with no previous criminal records.

Justice Pam convicted and sentenced the defendants to two years imprisonment each or an option of fine of  N200,000, payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The judge also ordered that all the phones recovered from them should be forfeited to the government,  being  proceeds of crime. They should  also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.

Etege and Wisdom started their journey to the Correctional Service when they were both arrested by operatives of the Commission sometime in October, 2024 for internet fraud and other fraud-related  activities. They were charged to court and convicted.