Court jails seven for internet fraud in Kaduna

In front of Justices R.M. Aikawa and Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, and A. Isiaka of the State High Court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kaduna Zonal Directorate, declared that its operatives had successfully convicted seven fraudsters.

The defendants were charged with individual charges of cybercrime, impersonation, and money laundering.

The convicted individuals are Agbecha Samson (aka Michelle Pfeiffer), Shamsudeen Alubankudi (aka Keren Adler), Paul Wadai (aka Odd Murphy), Onomza Gwamna (aka Dave Owen), Godswill Effiong, Esogban Godtemple (aka Lahm Moses), and Odeyale Victor (aka Candice Weiss).

A statement, shared via the EFCC’s X handle on Friday, read, “That you, Agbecha Fanem Samson (aka Michelle Pfeiffer), sometime between March and August 2024, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, retained a total sum of N20,554,781.84 (Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty-One Naira and Eighty-Four Kobo) from one Johnson Aka Wolfman (a United States citizen), knowing that the funds were part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby committing money laundering, an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

“That you, Shamsudeen Abdulkarim Alubankudi (aka Keren Adler), sometime in 2024, at Zaria, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, falsely represented yourself as Keren Adler, an FBI undercover agent, duly Certified Ethical White-Hat Hacker, and a scam recovery agent on ‘Facebook’ (an online social media platform), and in such assumed character, defrauded one Charlene Landrum, who lives in Albany, Oregon, United States, of the sum of $301.00 USD (Three Hundred and One United States Dollars), thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017, and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

The statement further noted that the fraudsters pleaded “guilty” to their charges, prompting prosecution counsel, M.E. Eimonye and M.J. Argungu, to request appropriate sentencing.

“Victor and Gwamna were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, with an option to pay a fine of N600,000 each. Effiong and Alubankudi were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each, with an option to pay fines of N700,000 and N500,000, respectively. Samson and Godtemple were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each, with an option to pay fines of N500,000 and N600,000, respectively. Wadai was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment or a fine of N700,000.”

“In addition to their prison terms, they forfeited their phones and a computer, being tools of their crimes, to the Federal Government. A Lexus car and the proceeds of the crime traced to their bank accounts, were also forfeited.”

The convicts were arrested in Minna, Niger State, following credible intelligence about their fraudulent internet activities, the statement concluded.

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