Tobias Sylvester
A Federal High Court in Enugu has sentenced an Internet fraudster, Ojike Maduabuchi, to two years’ imprisonment for obtaining money from Asian women under false pretences.
Maduabuchi was prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge of criminal impersonation.
The EFCC alleged that Maduabuchi impersonated foreign nationals on his Whatsapp account and Thai mobile app to obtain money from unsuspecting Asian women.
“That you, Ojike Odiwe Maduabuchi, sometime in September 2020 in Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, impersonated one Michael Scott, an American citizen on your Whatsapp account and Thai Friendly application, with intent to obtain money from unsuspecting Asian women by false pretence, punishable under Section 22(4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention) Act 2015,” the charge reads.
Maduabuchi pleaded not guilty to the charge on Thursday. But the prosecutor, Mainforce Ekwu, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Following Maduabuchi’s plea, the presiding judge, Justice I.N. Buba, sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine.
KanyiDaily had also reported how the EFCC arrested a criminal syndicate of 5 bankers who specialise in forging signatures of dead bank customers and stealing from their accounts.
