Cyber Criminals Reported To EFCC By Neighbours Bag Jail Terms

Six internet fraudsters, convicted for scamming members of the public, have been sentenced to jail by different Federal High Court Judges in Abuja.

They were convicted on charges bordering on internet frauds following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The fraudsters, who specialised in Business E-mail Compromise (BCG), internet fraud, and other related offences are: Chisom Emmanuel Odom; Isajimi Joshua; Tafa Basit; Adeleye Oladele Benjamin, Chukwu Simon and Amoo Tunmise.

Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday that “The convicts’ problems started when residents of their respective neighbourhoods petitioned the EFCC, alleging their suspicious lifestyles as signals of  criminality.”

Oyewale added “Investigation by the Commission revealed that the fraudsters converted their residences to dens,  where they were operating freely and defrauding members of the public.”

According to him, items recovered from them upon arrest include electronic gadgets,  ranging from sophisticated computer systems, software and hardware devices, browsers amongst others.

They were subsequently charged to different courts where they pleaded guilty.

The anti-graft agency spokesman gave a breakdown of the sentences: “Justice F.O.G Ogunbanjo, convicted and sentenced  Odom and  Joshua while Justice Ojukwu of Federal High Court, convicted  Benjamin  to two years imprisonment. She also convicted and sentenced Tunmise and ordered him to pay a fine of N1million.

“In the same vein, Justice Binta Nyako convicted and sentenced  Simon and  Basit to six months and three months respectively.”