Three Cybercriminals Jailed in Akwa Ibom for Impersonation and Fraud

 The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, announced on Monday that a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced three cybercriminals to various prison terms for their involvement in criminal impersonation, internet fraud, and possession of fake documents.

The convicts are Abraham Itoro Sunday, Ezea Chidera Charles, and Udoh Christopher Gabriel. They were arraigned by the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC on one-count separate charges of cybercrimes before Justice Chigozie Sergius Onah.

Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom

 The charges stated that the convicts fraudulently impersonated different foreigners on social media platforms with the intent to gain advantage for themselves. They violated Section 22 (2)(b)(I) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, prevention) Act 2015 and were liable to punishment under the same section.

The convicts pleaded guilty to the charges and the prosecution counsel, Enobong Ubokudom and Farida Bukar, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

In his judgment on Thursday, Justice Onah sentenced Sunday and Charles to yousix months imprisonment each with an option of paying a fine of N200,000.00, while Gabriel got a five-month jail term with an option of paying a fine of N150,000.00.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the three smartphones used by the convicts to commit the crimes to the Federal Government.

According to the statement, the convicts were arrested by the EFCC operatives on November 22, 2023, at different locations in Afaha Atai, in Iko Eket Akwa Ibom State. Investigations revealed that they used the identities of foreigners to defraud their victims. Charles posed as ‘Molina Urovsky’ on Facebook, Sunday as Brian O’niel, and Gabriel as Alexander Douglas on Instagram.

The statement also recalled that in October 2023, a medical doctor, Nwaopara Uche, was jailed for two years by a High Court in the state for stealing hospital beds from Immanuel General Hospital and Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital, both in Eket Local Government Area of the state and using them in his private clinic. He was convicted along with Kubiat Isidore, 28, and Felix Ekwere, 35, who assisted him in stealing the items from Immanuel General Hospital. Ekwere was caught while moving out some of the stolen hospital beds from the hospital at night.