The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of ten fraudsters into various jail terms for offences bordering on internet fraud, impersonation and employment fraud.
The convicts are Emmanuel Cyriacus, Nelson Yustus, Gabriel Victor Shindu, Daniel Gambo, Miracle Bukar, Mighty Awarri, Jonathan James, Mathias Adams, Sani Safiyanu, and Muazu Shira Mutari.
Shindu, Awarri, Gambo, Bukar, Adams, Yustus, Cyriacus and James were arraigned on October 16, 2024, before Justices Hammed Isha and Benjamin M.Lawal of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State. Safiyanu was arraigned on October 14, 2024, on two counts charges of intent to defraud and possession of fraudulent document before Justice Mushkur Salisu of the Federal High Court Jalingo, Taraba State, while Muazu Shira Mutari was arraigned for intent to defraud on October 8, 2024, before Justice Muazu Abubakar of the Bauchi State High Court, Bauchi.
The charge against Yustus reads: “That you Nelson Yustus sometime in September 2024 in Yola Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud did impersonate by using your iPhone 11 mobile device to chat on Zangi private messenger application with one Art–huff, a foreign national while presenting as Jake’s from Philadelphia USA and in the process gained to your advantage the total sum of $150 (One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and also chatted with Cawzia and Pierre on Signal impersonating as a white lady called Comfyprincess from USA and thereby committed an offence of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 314 of Penal code law of Adamawa State 2018 and punishable under Section 315 of same law”.
One of the charges against Safiyanu reads: “That you Sani Safiyanu, male, adult, sometime in 2022 at Taraba within the judicial division of this honourable court did had in your possession documents containing false pretense to wit: Appointment and Congratulatory messages telling people that, they got employment with; National Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigeria Police Force via your email addresses; Safiyanusani670@gmail.com, abusafiyanusanikarofi@gmail.com, nschoolfeedingprogram@gmail.com, nigerianinec5@gmail.com, forceheadquartersabuja2020@gmail.com, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges prompting the prosecution counsel, Saad H. Saad to ask the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as their defendants were remorseful of their actions.
Justice Isha convicted and sentenced Shindu, Awari, Bukar and Gambo to ten (10) years imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) each.
Justice Lawal convicted and sentenced Yustus, James, and Cyriacus to Ten years imprisonment with an option of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine each. However, Adam bagged five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.00.
Justice Salisu convicted and sentenced Safiyanu to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.00 on count one and one-year imprisonment or a fine of N50,000.00 on count two. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced Mutari to two years imprisonment with an option of N200,000.00.
All the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for internet fraud, impersonation and examination fraud. They were charged to court and convicted.
In another development, EFCC has arraigned Solomon Yohanna, Shedrach Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar before Justice Hammed Isha for impersonating the EFCC by forging its documents to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
They were arraigned on nine-count charges of forgery, aiding to commit a crime and impersonation by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
One of the charges reads: “That you Solomon Yohana, Shedrach Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, Abdullah Abubakar, sometimes between 2023 and 2024 in Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did forge the signature of the Commission (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) on the following documents; Letter of Authority on EFCC letterhead dated 5th August, 2024, Investigation Approval letter dated 1st April, 2024 on EFCC letter, letter of Team Approval dated 6th December, 2023 on EFCC letterhead, letter of Team Approval dated 29th April, 2024 on EFCC letterhead bearing the name of the 1st defendant on each document with intent to support the claim that the 1st defendant is a staff of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sent to Guyuk Local Government to audit and supervise all the projects of the Local Government awarded by the Federal, State and Local Government, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of forgery contrary to Section 349 and punishable under Section 351 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa state, 2018.
Upon arraignment on October 15, 2024, the first defendant, Solomon Yahanna pleaded guilty to the crimes while others pleaded not guilty.
In view of the first defendant’s plea of guilt, prosecution counsel, Saad .H.Saad prayed the court to allow him to bring up witnesses to review the facts of the case. However, counsel to the defendant, C. Karamuel told the court he wasn’t ready to take any witnesses.
Justice Isha, having heard both prosecution and defence counsels granted each of the defendants (2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants) bail in the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) with one surety in like sum who must be resident in Yola and a family man. The sureties shall deposit their identity cards and sign bail bonds.
The judge thereafter remanded Yohanna at Yola Correctional Centre Adamawa State and adjourned the matter to November 15, 2024, for both trial and review of facts.
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