The Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, August 29, 2022, secured the conviction and sentencing of two internet fraudsters: Adikpo Diamond Aondover and Mathew Itodo Onyilo, before Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
They were jailed after pleading guilty to one- count separate charge preferred against them by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the EFCC.
The charge against Aondover reads: “That you, Adikpo Diamond Aondover, sometime in 2021 at Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Elliott Winston Diamond from Worcester, Massachusetts, (United States of American Citizen) via your mobile No. 08084695597 and 07088598890 with intent to gain advantage to yourself and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22 (2)(b) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the same Act”.
The charge against Onyilo reads: “That you, Mathew Itodo Onyilo sometime in June 2022 in Otukpo Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one, Harold Marlar, through his Instagram username with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under subsection (iv) of the same Act”.
They both pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to them.
Given their pleas, prosecution counsels: Mary Onoja and M. Yusuf, respectively reviewed the facts of the cases before the court, while praying that the convicts be sentenced accordingly.
Delivering judgment, Justice Muhammed sentenced Aondover to one-year imprisonment, with an option of a fine in the sum of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira).
Onyilo was also sentenced to one-year imprisonment with an option of a fine in the sum of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira). Also, the iPhone 7 used in committing the crime was forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria while the two bank accounts used by the convicts to access funds were closed by the court.
The two convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the Makurdi Zonal Command of the EFCC for impersonating foreigners and defrauding their victims through false claims.