Undergraduate jailed 14 years for internet fraud of $22 in Port Harcourt
Stanley Ihedigbo
Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced a final-year student of the University of Port Harcourt, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem, to 14 years imprisonment for internet fraud of $22.
According to the Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Dele Oyewale, he was jailed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, upon arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Commission, on seven-count charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretense and impersonation.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem on or about 17th September 2024, at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of $22Â from Diana Roskov by fraudulently representing yourself as Coran Capshaw, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, a pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud- Related Offences Act 2006.
He pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him.
Given his plea, prosecution counsel, A. Abubakar, called witnesses and tendered some documents as evidence, which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits.
He thereafter prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Counsel to the defendant, F. T. Fred-Boufini did not oppose the prayers by the prosecution.
She rather prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that the defendant was a first-time offender with no previous criminal records.
Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the seven -counts or an option of a 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 the convict be forfeited to the government,  being proceeds of crime.
The convict shall also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.
Ekanem started his journey to the Correctional Centre when he was arrested by operatives of the Commission sometime in September 2024 at Choba, Port Harcourt, for internet fraud and other fraud-related activities.
The convict successfully defrauded one Diana Roskov, among others, by fraudulently representing himself as Coran Capshaw, manager of the singer Chris Stapleton, through WhatsApp and Instagram chats.
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