Final year student jailed 14 years for internet fraud in Rivers

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has convicted and sentenced a final year student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Henry Nathaniel Ekanem, to 14 years imprisonment for internet fraud.

The final year student was jailed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, following his arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on seven-count charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem on or about 17th September, 2024, at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Twenty Two United States of America dollars ($22)  from Diana Roskov by fraudulently representing yourself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud- Related Offences Act 2006.”

Ekanem pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him.

Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, A. Abubakar, called witnesses and tendered some documents as evidence which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits.

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Abubakar thereafter prayed the court to convict and sentence the student accordingly.

The defence counsel, F. T. Fred-Boufini, who did not oppose the prayers by the prosecution, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that Ekanem was a first-time offender with no previous criminal records.

The presiding judge, Justice A. T. Mohammed, convicted and sentenced the student to two years imprisonment on each of the seven counts or an option of fine of N200,000 payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government.

Justice Mohammed also ordered that all the phones recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government, being proceeds of crime.

“The convict shall also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court,” the judge added.

The Star