Kaduna court convicts 5 internet fraudsters

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has convicted five over alleged involvement in fraud.

Justice N. U. Sadiq of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna secured the conviction for offences bordering on internet fraud and obstruction.

The convicts were Miracle Osag (a.k.a Cynthiaray), Joshua Omotayo (a.k.a Christopher Wittland), Victory James (a.k.a Michael Lan Rosales), Yunus Abdulwasiu (a.k.a Gloria Mathew) and Anita Yusuf.

They were arrested at various places of their hideouts in Kaduna based on intelligence indicating that they defrauded unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.

The charges read: “That you, Miracle Osag (a.k.a Cynthiaray) sometime in July 2023 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence to wit; cheating by impersonation wherein you falsely presented yourself as one Cynthiaray on Instagram, an online social media platform and in such assumed identity, cheated one John Morgan the total sum of $120 Dollars (One Hundred and Twenty United States Dollars) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.

“That you, Yunus Abdulwasiu (a.k.a Gloria Mathew) between January and April 2023 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the total sum of $150 US dollars (One Hundred and Fifty US Dollars) from one Andrea Werner when you presented yourself as Gloria Mathew a white woman from Portland Oregon via Facebook (a social media application) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law”.

They all pleaded guilty to the charges and as a result, the prosecuting team led by M. Lawal implored the court to convict them accordingly.

Justice Sadiq convicted and sentenced James, Osag and Omotayo to 2 years imprisonment or an option of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fine.

Meanwhile, Abdulwasiu was sentenced to one year imprisonment without the option of fine and Anita Yusuf was fined N20,000 (Twenty Thousand Naira).

All devices recovered from the defendants had been forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.