Kano Court sends Udeagwu, Olamide to prison for three years over internet fraud

A Kano State High Court, presided over by Honorable Justice Ibrahim Musa Karaye, has handed down a three-year prison sentence to two individuals, Benjamin Okechukwu Udeagwu and Benjamin Amos Olamide, for offenses related to internet fraud. The convictions were secured after the defendants pleaded guilty to separate one-count charges brought against them by the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Udeagwu, charged with fraudulent impersonation, was accused of obtaining $50 by posing as Brad George, a U.S. citizen, an act that constitutes an offense of cheating by personation. Olamide, in a similar vein, faced charges of inducing unsuspecting victims to deliver $500 under the false identity of Terry Vince, residing in the United States of America, through a fraudulent Gmail account.

Upon the defendants’ guilty pleas, EFCC counsels Abubakar Hassan Elbadawi and Fatima Mustapha urged the court to proceed with conviction and sentencing. The defense counsels, M.J Ella and M.E Ogah, pleaded for leniency, emphasizing that the defendants were first-time offenders and expressed remorse for their actions.

Justice Karaye, considering the pleas, sentenced Udeagwu to one year in prison or a fine of N20,000. Olamide, on the other hand, received a two-year prison term with an alternative fine of N20,000. Both sentences were handed down in response to charges related to impersonation and internet fraud, offenses for which the defendants were apprehended and subsequently convicted after appearing in court.