Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, on Monday, sentenced 34 people to prison for internet fraud.
The convicts, including Kelly Maduabuchi Muonagu, Nwokwu Chibuike Valerian, and Chinonso Stanley Boniface, were sentenced on charges such as fraudulent impersonation, possessing proceeds of crime, and obtaining money by false pretenses.
Each convict faced separate charges, with the prosecution detailing how they used fake profiles and email accounts to deceive foreign nationals.
One charge stated, “That you, Ifeanyi Aju Kingsley… fraudulently impersonated Erica Clark, a foreign national, using your HP Elite book… via a fake Facebook account with the intent to gain advantage for yourself… and thereby committed an offense.”
The convicts pleaded not guilty, but the prosecution, led by Raymond Edozie, requested the court to convict them. Defense lawyers, Benard Okeke, James Nwatarali, and Ifeanyi Odoh, asked for leniency, saying the convicts showed remorse.
After hearing both sides, Justice Anyadike sentenced most convicts to eight months in prison with an option to pay a fine of N70,000. However, two convicts, Valerian and Boniface, were sentenced to two months of community service under supervision.
Additionally, the judge ordered that the mobile phones and laptops taken from the convicts be auctioned, with the proceeds going to the Treasury Account of the Federation.
The convicts were arrested on October 11, 2024, in different areas of Onitsha. Investigations revealed that some of them posed as foreign shipping agents, while others used fraudulent tactics to scam women abroad.
