The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday October 12, 2021secured the conviction and sentencing of three internet fraudsters: Obioma Chinomso (a.k.a Trieu Nguyen), John Urum (alias Catherine Wilison George) and Okechukwu Kendrick (a.k.a Nazil Comak), before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River state on separate one count charge for internet fraud.
The defendants were among the internet fraud suspects popularly known as ‘yahoo-boys’, arrested by operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC on Wednesday September 29, 2021 at World Bank Estate Umuahia, Abia state.
The trio pleaded guilty to the separate one count charge preferred against them by the Commission.
In view of their guilty plea, Justice Ojukwu convicted and sentenced the defendants to a fine of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000), or six months imprisonment each, in the event that they’re unable to pay the stipulated fine.
The court also ordered that all the instruments used in perpetrating the crime be verified and forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The forfeited items are: iPhone 12, Apple IPad, a laptop, Techno Spark 7 phone, Itel 2106 phone and a Techno Spark 2 phone.
Furthermore, Onwuka John and Okechukwu Kendrick were ordered to pay the sums of One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N1, 500, 000) and Five Hundred United States Dollars ($500) respectively, as restitution to their victims through the Commission.
