Justice Served: Plateau Court Jails 24 for Online Scams and Impersonation

The Makurdi Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of 24 internet fraudsters to various jail terms before Justice N.L.Musa of the Plateau State High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State.

The convicts are: Peter Sinclair Nandi, Aaron Mantudu Dauda, Promise Sunday, Godswill Thomas, Philip Samuel Umana, Samuel Adakole Godwin,Peter Israel Bawa, Abel Adams, Tyoden Munashak Philibus, Joseph Abbah Benjamin, Abraham Felix Eseoghene, George Emmanuel Nankwat, OnoviranVictor Ovie, Alfred Ugo, Dominic John Aliyuda and Jerry Asiku.

Others convicts are: Abbah Lucky, Destiny Mawiyau Lot, Paul Danjuma, Dawuk Reshtak George, John Zang Iliya, Chimezie James Ekemizie, Sado Simon Chukwuemeka and Isreal James.

They were prosecuted on one-count separate charges that bordered on impersonation, obtaining by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents by the Makurdi Zonal Directorate of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The charge against Tyoden Munashak Philibus reads: “That you Tyoden Munashak Philibus(M) (23 years old) sometime between 1st January 2024 and 16 July 2025 in Jos, Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud created a fake Telegram account with user name ” BetBeareu” which you use for a betting scam by giving your victims betting odds that didn’t exist and obtained about N2,900.000( Two Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) from unsuspecting victims paid via tour Pal Pay Bank Account no: 9018498424 and Moniepoint account no: 6792671438 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fraud and Other Fraud Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3)the same Act.”

The charge against Joseph Abbah Benjamin reads: “That you, Joseph Abbah Benjamin “m” 22 years sometime between 1st January 2024 and 12th July 2025 in FCT, Jos, Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud created a fake Facebook account and impersonated by disguising to be “Will Parfait” a British Club Striper and obtained about $550USD from one Yolanda, a Spanish citizen and other victims/ foreign nationals of United States of America (USA) paid via Gift Card which you converted and transferred to your Opay Bank Account No: 7045957663 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences, Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3)(b) of the same Act.”

They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Yusuf Musa and Uwais Yusuf to ask the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while counsels to the defendants prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful for their actions.
Justice N.L.Musa convicted and sentenced them to various jail terms with an option of fine each.

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The judges in addition to their sentences ordered that all the convicts forfeited their phones, laptop computers and sums of money found in their bank accounts to the federal government.

Their journey to the Correctional Center began when they were arrested in Jos, Plateau State by operatives of the Makurdi Zonal Directorate of the EFCC. They were charged to court and convicted.