Twelve students arrested for Internet fraud have been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment each by the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.

They were arraigned before Justice I.M. Buba on charges bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining money from unsuspecting foreign nationals under false pretences.

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, identified the convicts as Izuchukwu Goodness, Okechukwu Ifeanyichukwu, Nwabueze Ifeanyi, Egbo Gerrard, Ekene Oputa, Iloegbunam Justine, Edeh Michael, Edeh Dominic, Iloegbunam Onyeka, Ogu Kingsley, Mbanugo Ifeanyi and Edeh Emmanuel.

The statement said the students, after the charges were read to them, pleaded guilty.

The charge against one of the defendants read, “That you, Mbanugo Ifeanyi, on or about March 10, 2021, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently impersonated Ornale Sylvestermanda and Venita through a fake Telegram account, with the intent to obtain money from unsuspecting foreign nationals, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(3) (a)(b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act.”

Justice Buba convicted and sentenced them to two years’ imprisonment each with an option of N1m fine each.

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Similarly, Justice Fatima Musa of the Gombe State High Court, Gombe, sentenced two former staff of the Gombe State Ministry of Lands and Survey, Yahaya Waja and Muhammed Manga, to nine years’ imprisonment over charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and cheating.

The EFCC, in a statement, revealed that the duo used forged land documents to obtain the sum of N340,000 from the complainant in the case.

The two defendants pleaded guilty and were convicted by the court.

Justice Musa, however, offered them an option of N110,000 fine each.

She further ordered the first convict, Waja, to pay the sum of N120,000 as restitution to the victim.