Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has convicted and sentenced five internet fraudsters to six months jail terms each.
They were jailed on Tuesday July 22, 2025, after pleading guilty to separate charges bordering on criminal impersonation on the internet, preferred against them by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The convicts are: Okon Dennis Akpan, Franklin Agara Mbeh, Peter Chinedu Okpaga, Nwofoke Celestine and Paul Egede Chinedu.
One of the charges reads: ‘that you, Nwofoke Celestine “M” sometime in 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court did fraudulently impersonate Victoria Chiara on Facebook with the intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b) (i ) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, prevention) Act 2015 and punishable under the same Section’.
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Commission, and in view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Temiloluwa Oladipupo reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ojukwu immediately convicted and sentenced each of them to six months jail term and a fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) each
They forfeited all items used in committing the crimes to the Federal Government.
The convicts got to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet crimes. They were charged to court and jailed.
