The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction of Laban Samson, Shedrack James, Ankale James, Sylvanus and Nnadi Uchechukwu before Justices A.A. Ishaka and Dairus Kbobo of the Kaduna State High Court on separate one count charge bordering on cheating by impersonation.
The defendants were arrested in different parts of Kaduna for alleged internet-related fraud activities by assuming the identities of foreigners and using the same to defraud unsuspecting victims.
The charges read:
“That you, Laban Samson( aka Amber Gavin), Male, sometime in December 2022 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, pretended to be Amber Gavin when you sold fake Festival Event ticket on Facebook to Meghan Kelly and others, obtained gift cards worth the sum of Three Hundred and Sixty United States of America (USA) Dollars ($360.00) from Meghan Kelly for the said tickets, and you thereby committed cheating by Impersonation, 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, Shedrack James (aka Chen Zang) sometime in June 2023 in Kaduna within jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud falsely presented yourself as Chen Zang via ‘Green App’ (an online social media application) and in that assumed character cheated one Wulingwa (a citizen of China) of the total sum of 1,500 YUAN and you 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, Ankale James Sylvanus (aka Alice Gartman), sometime in July, 2023 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence to wit; falsely presented yourself as Alice Gartman, a white woman, in that assumed character cheated one Aaron Snyder of the total sum of $100.00(One Hundred US Dollars) via an email account; alicegartman098@gmail.com and you 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.
“That you, Uchechukwu Nnadi( aka Rukayat Hamed), Male, sometimes in June 2023 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Rukayat Hamed on Facebook and obtained gift cards worth the sum of Ninety Six Dollars from Arfan Munrat for a romantic relationship and you thereby committed cheating by impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law”.
They all pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them, prompting the prosecuting counsel, E.K Garba and M.U Gadaka to urge the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Ishaka, convicted and sentenced Samson, James and Sylvanus to two years imprisonment with the option of fine of N150, 000.00 each, The convicts are also to forfeit one IPhone XR , one Samsung S9+ phone and another Samsung phone used as instrument of crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the EFCC.
Justice Khobo also convicted and sentenced Uchechukwu to two years imprisonment or a fine of N150, 000.00.
The convict is also to forfeit one Gionee phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
