by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully convicted 10 individuals for internet-related crimes. The convicted fraudsters were sentenced to various jail terms and fines after pleading guilty to charges involving internet fraud, impersonation, and employment scams.
In a statement shared by the EFCC on X.com, the convicted individuals were named as Emmanuel Cyriacus, Nelson Yustus, Gabriel Victor Shindu, Daniel Gambo, Miracle Bukar, Mighty Awarri, Jonathan James, Mathias Adams, Sani Safiyanu, and Muazu Shira Mutari.
The EFCC revealed that Shindu, Awarri, Gambo, Bukar, Adams, Yustus, Cyriacus, and James were sentenced on October 16, 2024, by Justices Hammed Isha and Benjamin M. Lawal of the Gombe State High Court, Adamawa State. Safiyanu was sentenced on October 14, 2024, in Taraba State, while Mutari was sentenced on October 8, 2024, in Bauchi State.
One of the charges stated that Nelson Yustus, using an iPhone 11, pretended to be a U.S. citizen named Jake and scammed a foreign national of $150. Another charge against Safiyanu showed that he used fake employment documents to deceive people into believing they had jobs with Nigerian government programs.
The court gave the convicts the option to pay fines. Justice Isha sentenced Shindu, Awari, Bukar, and Gambo to 10 years in prison or a fine of N300,000 each. Justice Lawal sentenced Yustus, James, and Cyriacus to 10 years in prison or a fine of N200,000 each, while Adams received 5 years or a N200,000 fine.
Safiyanu was sentenced to five years in prison or a fine of N200,000 on one charge and one year or a N50,000 fine on another. Mutari was sentenced to two years in prison or a fine of N200,000. All the sentences reflect the EFCC’s ongoing effort to curb internet fraud in Nigeria.
