Kaduna Court Jails Internet Fraudster, Company

Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced one John Yakubu to three years imprisonment for internet fraud.

He was jailed on Friday,  February 23, 2024, after pleading guilty to a one-count charge bordering on internet fraud upon being arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC.

The one-count charge reads: “that you John Yakubu sometime in December, 2022 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud falsely presented yourself as Frederick Hansen(a medical doctor from Sweden) via ‘Facebook’ chat (an online social media application) to one Bergstrom Berit and in such assumed character benefitted the total sum of $750 USD and 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”

The defendant pleaded guilty to the one-count charge when it was read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, M.J Arugungu to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

The Judge, after hearing from both counsels, convicted and sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment or an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

The convict also forfeited one iPhone 12 Pro Max and one Polystar Smart Television ’50’ inches, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Yakubu bagged his imprisonment when he was arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of EFCC,  at Goni Gora,  Kaduna State. He assumed the identity of a foreigner, Fredrik Hansen on Facebook to misrepresent himself to unsuspecting victims and benefitted the sum of $750 (Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars) from the crime.

In another vein, Justice Hawau Buhari of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna convicted and sentenced a company, Classiel Integrated Motors Limited to a fine of N250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for failure to render a transaction report to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, SCUML.

The company was arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC on a one-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The one-count charge reads: “that you Classiel Integrated Motors Ltd operating the business of General contractors and other businesses, sometime in June 2022 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did an act to wit: failed to report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in writing within 7 days, your lodgment of N5,500,000.00 (Five Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira) which is in excess of N5,000,000.00(Five Million naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 11(3) of the same Act”.

The company, however, pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to it, prompting prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye to pray the court to convict it accordingly.

Justice Buhari, thereafter convicted and sentenced the company to a fine of N250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira)

The company bagged its imprisonment when it failed to render its transactions report after registering with SCUML, even after the regulator carried out onsite inspection and sensitization on its statutory obligations as stipulated in the relevant laws.

Furthermore, investigations showed that the company also failed to conduct a proper, Know Your Customer,  KYC, on its customers during transactions.