*EFCC arraigns man for alleged N131.8m, $200,000 fraud in Abuja
WorldStage Newsonline– Justice M. Itsueli of Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City has convicted and jailed six internet fraudsters.
According to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the convicts are, Idemudia Destiny, Osifo Destiny, Nomanidobo Favour, Dauda Ahmed, David Samuel and Wisdom John.
They were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on separate one-count charges, bordering on impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.
The charge against Idemudia Destiny reads: “That you Idemudia Destiny (m) on or about the 1st of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession, on your iPhone 16 Plus, with IMEI Number 355648184280359, documents which you knew or ought to have known contain a false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
They all pleaded “guilty,” following which the prosecution counsel, K. Y. Bello prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice Itsueli convicted and sentenced all to two years imprisonment or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine, respectively.
All the convicts forfeited their phones, laptop computers and money in their bank accounts, being the tools and proceeds of their crimes, respectively to the federal government. They also undertook in writing to be of good behaviour henceforth.
The convicts were arrested and prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, following credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities.
KADUNA
Justice M.J. Zubairu of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, convicted and jailed Muhammad Kabiru for fraud.
The conviction was disclosed in statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale on Tuesday.
Kabiru, according to the EFCC statement, was prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Commission on a one-count charge that bordered on criminal impersonation.
The charge reads: “That you Muhammad Kabiru, (a.k.a Jennifer Aniston) sometime in July, 2025, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence to wit: falsely presented yourself as Jennifer Aniston (a citizen of United States of America) to several unsuspecting victims via ‘Telegram’ chat (an online social media application) in a bid to lure them into love scam, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.”
He pleaded “guilty”, following which the prosecution counsel, M.U Gadaka urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Zubairu convicted and sentenced him to two years imprisonment or to pay N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 14 Pro to the federal government.
The convict was among the suspects arrested by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on Governor Road, Kaduna metropolis, following intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, August 18, 2025, arraigned one Umar Abdullahi before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja for fraud.
Abdullahi, an Information and Communication Technology, ICT, consultant is being prosecuted on four-court charges, bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, advance fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of N131.8 million and $200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).
One of the charges reads: “That you, Umar Abdullahi, sometime between July 2024 and August 2024, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did accept and transact cash payment of $200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars) for allotment of shares in Multi Access Controls Limited, in excess of the Ten Million Naira threshold, without transacting through a financial institution, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 2 (1) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.”
Another reads: “That you, Umar Abdullahi, sometime in June 2024, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N104,980,000.00 (One Hundred and Four Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) into Account Number: 2266267081, domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, from Aura Integrated Energy Resources Limited under the false pretence that the money was for procurement of telecommunication equipment and logistics for Nigerian Communications Commission staff, a pretence you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to all charges, following which prosecution counsel, Cosmas Ugwu, urged the court to remand him in a correctional facility pending trial, noting that he had earlier jumped an administrative bail granted him by the EFCC, while the defence counsel, A.O. Agbonlahor, pleaded with the court for the defendant to be remanded in EFCC’s custody.
Justice Nwite after listening to both counsel, ordered that Abdullahi be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja and adjourned the case till September 8, 2025 for commencement of trial.
Abdullahi’s prosecution followed a petition by Alhaji Shehu Badamosi to the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, in which he alleged that the defendant approached him, claiming to have secured a contract with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and needed financing to the tune of N131.8m and $200,000 for its execution. The petitioner further claimed that the defendant after receiving the money from him became incommunicado, while all his efforts to recover his money from him, proved abortive.
