Calabar court jails two Internet fraudsters over $1,200

A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has sentenced Ojinnaka Malachy and Michael Kenneth Goodluck to one-year imprisonment each, for internet-related offences.

They were jailed on Tuesday after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, preferred against them by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While Goodluck portrayed himself as Roberto Enrique on Facebook and successfully defrauded his victim of $1,000, Malachy impersonated one Caleb Ini on Facebook and benefited $250 from his victims.

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One of the charge reads: “That you Michael Kennet Goodluck sometime in 2022 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently presented yourself as Roberto Enrique to the duo of Hoovey and Maya on Facebook and fraudulently obtained the sum of $1,000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) & (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under 22 (b) and (iv) of the same Act.”

In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, S. R. Akinrinlade, reviewed the facts of the two cases and prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Dugbo Oghoghorie thereafter convicted Malachy and Goodluck and sentenced them to one-year imprisonment each with an option of fine of N500,000 and two weeks of community service within the court premises.

They were also ordered to forfeit their phones to the Federal Government and restitute the various sums they benefitted to their victims.

The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre started when they were arrested by operatives of EFCC at different locations within Akwa Ibom and Delta states.

They made confessional statements that corroborated their involvement in the crimes.

The Star