Internet fraudster sentenced to one year imprisonment

A Federal Capital Territory High Court successful Gwagwalada connected Thursday sentenced an Internet fraudster, Smart Luter, to 1 twelvemonth imprisonment for impersonation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned the convict connected 1 number of cheating by impersonation for pretending to beryllium a Chinese Military personnel.

He pleaded blameworthy to the complaint and begged the tribunal for leniency.

Delivering judgment, Justice Aliyu Shafa, besides gave him an enactment of a good of N100,000.

He ordered that the Tecno smartphone utilized arsenic an instrumentality for the transgression beryllium forfeited to the Federal Government.

He besides said that the forfeited spot should beryllium sold by EFCC, and proceed realised beryllium deposited successful the government’s account.

He charged the convict to desist from crimes, adding that the condemnation would service arsenic a deterrent to anyone who wants to toed the portion of the convict.

Earlier, the convict who was not represented by immoderate counsel had pleaded with the tribunal to temper justness with mercy.

“I americium atrocious for indulging successful specified a transgression act. I was misled by my friend; I americium uncovering it hard to spell further.

I came to Abuja to look for a job, and successful the process, I met a person who introduced maine to net fraud, which I wanted to usage to assistance my family.

“I americium pleading for mercy, I committedness to alteration and beryllium a bully citizen,” helium pleaded.

The Prosecution Counsel, Gabrielle Ushie successful an oral exertion prayed the tribunal that the instrumentality (cellphone) utilized by the convict for the transgression beryllium forfeited to the national government.

Ushie told the tribunal that the convict, sometime successful 2024 wrong the jurisdiction of the court, committed the transgression of cheating by impersonation erstwhile helium pretended to beryllium 1 Zhang Yola, a Chinese Military personnel.

She said that the convict created a fake overseas fig for WhatsApp and benefited the sum of $105 from his unfortunate Muriel Reit.

Ushie said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 321 of the Penal Code and was punishable nether Section 324 of the Penal Code