The Ilorin Division of the Federal High Court has sentenced two internet fraudsters, Onyeanu David and Anthony Obumneme, to prison.

The presiding judge, Mohammed Sani, said the court carefully considered the defendants’ plea, their statements, and plea bargain agreements, concluding that the defendants were guilty as charged.

He sentenced Mr David to one year in prison, with N200,000, as a fine option.

The court ordered that the convict forfeit $150 and iPhone 11, the proceeds from the crime, to the federal government.

Similarly, Mr Obumneme was sentenced to six months in prison, with N300,000 as an option of fine.

The convict will forfeit $300, which he benefited from the criminal activity and iPhone 12 Pro, used to perpetrate the crime to the federal government.

The two convicts were prosecuted on separate charges of one count each.

Mr David is a POS operator who specialised in theft, by stealing from his customers through the internet, while Mr Obumneme, the second defendant, was one of the 30 ‘Yahoo Boys’ arrested on September 19, by EFCC, during a raid on selected hostels at the Kwara State University, Malete.

Upon arraignment, the two defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.

Following their guilt plea, Sesan Ola and Rashidat Alao, who prosecuted for the EFCC, drew the court’s attention to the plea bargain agreement entered by the defendants with the anti-graft commission.

The prosecutors urged the court to consider the extra-judicial statements of the defendants and exhibits tendered, as well as the provisions of the law to convict the defendants. 

(NAN)