Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 convicted and sentenced the trio of Destiny Okokhue, Godwin Michael Ejovwoke and Kazeem Abidemi Samson to three years imprisonment for fraud.
They were prosecuted on one count charge of intent to defraud and unlawful possession of fraudulent documents by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The convicts were arrested based on intelligence which linked them to fraudulent activities. Ejovwoke, 24 impersonated one Clinton Max, a 45 year-old American doctor on Facebook to defraud unsuspecting victims. On his part, Samson, 25, impersonated Wang Hong and Feng Robinson on Facebook and Instagram to defraud his victims.
The charge against Samson reads: “that you, Kazeem Abidemi Samson on or about 22nd May, 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession on your iPhone 12 Pro Max with IMEI: 356712110275005 documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Acts 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, Al-Amin Abdul Ibrahim and A.S.Bala-Ribah to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ikponmwonba convicted and sentenced each of the defendants to three years imprisonment with an option of Two Hundred Thousand Naira as fine. The judge ordered that the convicts forfeit their phones and the balance in their bank accounts, being proceeds of crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
