A Benin High Court on Wednesday sentenced one Emmanuel Esene, 24, to two years in prison for Internet fraud.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Williams Aziegbemhin, also ordered that he should forfeit one iPhone 14 pro max, the instrument with which he committed the crime, to the Federal Government.

The judge said he should also forfeit to the Federal Government an undisclosed amount of money in his Union Bank, First Bank, Palmpay and UBA, being the channel through which he received the proceeds of the crime.

Mr Aziegbemhin, however, gave him an option of N300,000 fine in the alternative.

Esene, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, pleaded guilty to the charge and prayed the court for a plea bargain.

The EFCC Prosecutor, K. Y. Bello, told the court that Esene was arraigned on
a count charge of advance fee fraud.

He said that the convict committed the crime on February 15.

Mr Bello said the offence contravened Sections 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

He said that the offence was also punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

The prosecutor said that in the plea bargain, Esene accepted to forfeit the cell phone and money in his bank accounts to the Federal Government.
(NAN)