Tunde Bakare
Justices A. Isiaka and Hauwa’u Buhari of the Kaduna State High Court and Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna have convicted and sentenced the quartet of Segun Emmanuel Joseph (a.k.a Alina Renatas), Aliyu Dominic Daniel (a.k.a Jojo Snow), Winner Joseph (a.k.a Williams Scot) and Kenneth Oche Oduh (a.k.a Robert Ben James) to various jail terms for internet fraud.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on separate one-count charges, bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
The charge against Joseph reads: “That you Segun Emmanuel Joseph (a.k.a Alina Renatas) (M) between January and March, 2024 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, attempted to commit an offence and in such an attempt did a certain act towards the commission of the said offence to wit: falsely presented yourself as Alina Renatas, a woman living in Germany to one Rana Sultan Ameer and other several unsuspecting victims on Facebook (a social media application) in order to cheat them and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”
That of Oduh reads: “That you Kenneth Oche Oduh (a.k.a Robert Ben James),(m) sometimes in 2022 at Jos, Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, falsely presented yourself as Robert Ben James with a gmail account: robertben374@gmail.com and in that assumed character gained advantage for yourself the total sum of Eight hundred united States Dollars ($800.00USD),which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition,Prevention,etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of the same Act.”
They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges against them, following which prosecution counsel Y.J Matiyak and M.E Eimonye urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Isiaka convicted and sentenced Winner Joseph to two years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), Segun Joseph got five years imprisonment or pay a fine of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira), while Daniel bagged three years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
On her part, Justice Buhari convicted and sentenced Oduh to five years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
All the convicts forfeited their phones, being the tools of their crimes to the federal government.
Segun Joseph, Winner Joseph and Daniel were arrested in a raid in their hideout around Television Garage and Barnawa axes in Kaduna, following credible intelligence on their fraudulent internet activities, while Oduh was arrested in Jos metropolis alongside other members of his internet fraud syndicate.