Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna
State High Court sitting in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced one John Yakubu
to three years imprisonment for internet fraud.
He was jailed on Friday, February 23,
2024, after pleading guilty to one-count charge bordering on internet
fraud, upon being arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The one -count charge reads: “that
you John Yakubu sometimes in December, 2022 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction
of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud falsely presented yourself as
Frederick Hansen(a medical doctor from Sweden) via 'Facebook' chat (an online
social media application) to one Bergstrom Berit and in such assumed character
benefitted the total sum of $750 USD and thereby committed an offence contrary
to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under
Section 309 of the same Law”.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the
one- count charge when it was read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel,
M.J Arugungu to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
The Judge, after hearing from both
counsels, convicted and sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment or
an option of fine of 150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
The convict also forfeited one Iphone
12 Pro Max and one Polystar Smart Television '50' inches, to the Federal
Government of Nigeria.
Yakubu bagged his imprisonment when
he was arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of EFCC, at Goni
Gora, Kaduna State. He assumed the identity of a foreigner, Fredrik
Hansen on Facebook to misrepresent himself to unsuspecting victims and
benefitted the sum of $750(Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars) from the crime.
In another vein, Justice Hawau
Buhari of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna convicted and sentenced a
company, Classiel Integrated Motors Limited to a fine of N250,000.00( Two
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for failure to render transaction report to
the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, SCUML.
The company was arraigned by the
Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC on one-count charge bordering on money
laundering.
The one-count charge reads: “that you
Classiel Integrated Motors Ltd operating the business of General contractors
and other businesses, sometime in June, 2022 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction
of this Honourable Court, did an act to wit: failed to report to the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission in writing within 7 days, your lodgment of N5,500,000.00(Five
Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira) which is in excess of
N5,000,000.00(Five Million naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to
Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition)Act, 2022 and
punishable under Section 11(3) of the same Act”.
The company, however, pleaded guilty
to the charge when it was read to it, prompting prosecution counsel, M.E
Eimonye to pray the court to convict it accordingly.
Justice Buhari, thereafter convicted
and sentenced the company to a fine of N250,000.00( Two Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Naira)
The company was convicted when
it failed to render its transactions report after registering with SCUML, even
after the regulator carried out onsite inspection and sensitization on its statutory
obligations as stipulated in the relevant laws.
Furthermore, investigations showed that the company also failed to conduct a proper , Know Your Customer, KYC, on its customers during transactions.
