The number of cyber scammers, known in local parlance as yahoo-boys that will spend this yuletide season behind bars keeps soaring by the day as another one, Michael Nweke, has joined the long list of those already behind bars.
Nweke was on Monday sentenced to 26 months imprisonment by an Ikeja High Court presided by Justice Muniru Oloko-Oba for advance fee fraud.
Before the judgement was passed, the accused pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of forgery and advance fee fraud levelled against him by the EFCC.
EFCC prosecutor, Mrs. Aishat Abubakar, told the court that the accused on 21 February, 2006, at a cyber cafe called Timasy Business Links, situated at 8B, Akerele Street, Surulere, Lagos with intent to defraud, forged an e-mail captioned: “Confidential Business Proposal” dated 21 February, 2006 and purportedly sent by Dude Orumen, the Finance Director of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The prosecutor also told the court that the accused forged an e-mail captioned: ‘2005/2006 Recent Resolution/Development on Nigerian Non Payment of Contractors Overdue Contract Funds,” dated January 17, 2006 and purported to have been written by the same Dude Orumen.
Counsel for the accused pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy because the accused has realised his sin and in order not to waste the time of the court changed his plea to guilty.
He said the accused has learnt his lesson in prison custody.
In his judgement, Justice Oloko-Oba accepted the guilty plea of the accused and convicted him as charged. He said he was glad to learn that the accused had been reformed in prison custody but said justice must be done to deter others from committing criminal offences.
He sentenced the accused to 20 months imprisonment without an option of fine. The sentence is to commence from the first date of arraignment of the accused in court, 7 July, 2006
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