Nine people have been found guilty and sentenced by Justices Ijeoma Ojukwu and Rosemary Oghoghorie Dugbo of various cybercrime-related offences, such as impersonation, money laundering, and acquiring by false pretence, by two justices of the Federal High Court in Calabar.  

The Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned the following convicts on separate charges: Nsofor Charles Ochiabutor, Aneikan Monday Akpan, Igwe Greg, Ubong Emmanuel, Columba Chukwubuikem David, Edet Christopher Asuquo, Justice Chinonso, David Sunday Aniete, and Fidelis Andrew Effiom.  

They were charged under many provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, the EFCC said in a statement on Monday.  The offences were committed between 2023 and 2024, according to the EFCC.

In one of the charges, the EFCC stated: “That you, Nsofor Charles Ochiabutor ‘M’ sometime in 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did take possession and control of $3,000 (Three Thousand United States Dollars) intentionally knowing that the money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit; obtaining money by false pretence.”

Another charge against Akpan read: “That you, Aneikan Monday Akpan (a.k.a Hwan Yeong) “M” sometime in 2024, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently present yourself as Hwan Yeong on the social media with intent to gain advantage for yourself, did take possession of the aggregate sum of Three Hundred United States Dollars ($300) knowing that the money form part of the proceed of an unlawful act to wit: cyber impersonation and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18.”

When the charges were read to the nine defendants, they all entered guilty pleas.  Joshua Abolarin and Khamis Mahmud, the prosecution's solicitors, pleaded with the court to find them guilty and sentence them appropriately.

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