Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of Edo State High Court, Benin City, on Tuesday, November 2, 2022, convicted and sentenced two internet. Fraudsters, Onyeka Sunday and Idemudia Endurance Ehigie, to three years imprisonment each for fraud

They were arraigned on one count charge of personation and unlawful possession of fraudulent documents by the Benin Zonal Command of the EFCC.

The charge against Ehigie reads: 'that you, Idemudia Endurance Ehigie between January to September 2022 in Benin City, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently personate the identity of one Huang Kim on WhatsApp business account and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap.48 Laws of Bendel State of Nigeria (as applicable to Edo State)1976 and punishable under the same Law”.

The charge against Sunday reads: “that you, Onyeka Sunday sometime in 2022 at Benin- Auchi By-pass, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contain a false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Same Act”.

Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, K.U. Udus and K.Y.Bello to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Ikponmwonba convicted and sentenced Ehigie and Sunday to three years imprisonment each with an option of Two Hundred Thousand Naira fine. The judge ruled that both Ehigie and Sunday's bank accounts in GTB and Zenith Bank be permanently closed while the phones recovered from them be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Media & Publicity

2 November, 2022