Two Jailed For Cybercrime In Maiduguri
A Federal High Court in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced two men, Samuel Okoro and Lucky Dauda, to eight years in prison each for cybercrime and money laundering.
Justice K. Dagat handed down the sentences on Tuesday, after they were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate two-count charges.
The EFCC told the court that between 2022 and 2024, Okoro obtained about $4,000, converted to N5m through fraudulent transactions involving Cash App and gift cards, which he received from unsuspecting foreign nationals and deposited into his First Bank account.
Similarly, Dauda was found to have received $20,615 from 2020 to 2024 via illicit platforms, including Cash App, Google Play, Visa, Walmart, and PayPal gift cards.
The funds were traced to his Guaranty Trust Bank account.
The offences contravened Section 18(2)(d) and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Both men pleaded guilty.
Prosecution counsel Abdulmalik D. Aliyu asked the court to convict them, while their lawyers, O.C. Nwankwo and A. Musa, pleaded for leniency.
Justice Dagat sentenced them to four years on each count, with an option of N100,000 fine per count.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of assets linked to the crime, including an iPhone 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy A34, and a Samsung Galaxy S, to the Federal Government.
According to the EFCC, the convicts were arrested following credible intelligence about their fraudulent activities in Maiduguri.
Two Jailed For Cybercrime In Maiduguri is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
