Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court sitting in
Calabar, Cross River State, on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, sentenced a notorious
yahoo yahoo kingpin, Akpojivi Onoriode, who was arraigned by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on
cybercrime.
The convict, a 29-year-old graduate of Delta State
University, Abraka and a father of two, was arrested by operatives of the Uyo
Zonal Office of the Commission in the early hours of Saturday, May 4, 2019,
following intelligence report exposing him of living above his means. He was
picked up at his lavishly furnished duplex on Plot 10, Block VI, Unical
Satellite Town, Calabar, Cross River State.
Upon his arrest, the convict, popularly known as “Blinks” or
“Mr. White”, confessed to having offshore accounts in China, and narrated how
he started the business of defrauding people quite early, while he was still an
undergraduate at Delta State University, Abraka in Delta State.
The charge against Akpojivi reads: “That you, Onoriode Joel
Akpojivi, on or about the 4th day of May 2019, in Nigeria within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully produce, supply, procure
for use and distributed a computer program (fake online banking link platform)
designed for the purpose of electronically defrauding unsuspecting persons and
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 28 (1) (a) of the Cybercrimes
(Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section (1) (c) of
the same Act.”
Delivering judgement, Justice Amobeda held that: “It is a
known fact that crimes of this nature appear now to be prevalent in our time. I
do hereby sentence the convict to 6 months imprisonment with an option of fine
of N500,000.
“The convict shall forfeit to the Federal Government of
Nigeria the instruments used in the commission of the offence being thus: Acura
ZDX with registration number SMK 245 DQ (Lagos), Range Rover Envogue with
registration number FST 772 EQ (Lagos), Mercedes Benz E 300 with registration
number LSD 393 EG (Lagos) and the seven bedroom duplex situated at Victory Way
Extension, Satelite Town, Calabar, Cross River State.”
Earlier, Justice Amobeda convicted another graduate of Delta
State University, Abraka, Obabueki Philips, who was equally arraigned by the
anti-graft agency on a one-count charge bordering on impersonation and
cybercrime.
When Obabueki was arrested, he admitted that his area of
specialisation was impersonation, and that he sends out fraudulent emails to
defraud his victims.
A forensic analysis of his laptop led to the recovery of
quite a number of highly incriminating scam documents that further indicted him
of the crime.The charge to which Obabueki pleaded guilty to reads: “That you,
Obabueki Eromosele Philips, (aka Leo Sim) ‘m’ on or about the 30th day of May,
2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did
fraudulently impersonate one Leo Sim, with intent to obtain property from
unsuspecting persons, the pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed
an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition
and Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of
the same Act.”
In view of his guilty plea, Abuh informed the court of the
plea bargain arrangement entered between the Commission and the convict and
also prayed the court to convict and sentence him based on the agreements
therein.
The court thereafter sentenced him to six months
imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000.
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