• 10 arrested over alleged Internet fraud in Lagos
An accountant with the Works Department of the Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State, Mala Yawudi, has been sentenced to three and half years’ imprisonment by Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri for his involvement in fraud.
Yawudi was arraigned on three counts bordering on forgery and stealing of N645,000 and pleaded guilty to the charges.
It was gathered that Yawudi sometime in 2014 stole the sum belonging to one Bukar Wakil, who was declared dead in November 2015.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the convict forged a cheque in the name of the deceased.
Following Yawudi’s plea, the prosecuting counsel, Mukhtar Ahmed, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, while his counsel, Ibrahim Moguno, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
After listening to the argument of the parties, Justice Kumaliya convicted the defendant on the three counts.
The court sentenced Yawudi to two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on count two, while he bagged one year and six months’ imprisonment on counts one and three with an option of fine of N100,000 and N50,000, respectively.
Justice Kumaliya stated that the sentences would run consecutively.
One of the counts read in part, “That you, Mala Mallam Yawudi, while being an accountant of the Works Department in the Dikwa Local Government Area, Maiduguri, Borno State, on the 11th-16th and 19th of November, 2015 at Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did fraudulently make a false document to wit: a Unity Bank counter cheque with reference number 1633, dated November 10, 2015, in the name of Bukar Wakil (now deceased), knowing it to be forged and handed same to Unity Bank Plc, Monday Market, Maiduguri, Borno State, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 364 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 102, Laws of Borno State.”
Meanwhile, the anti-graft commission has arrested 10 suspected Internet fraudsters in Lagos.
The suspects, Jonathan Daniel Adebayo, Lawal Waidi Seun, Adeosun Joseph, Taiwo Gbemileke, Oseni Omotayo, Emmanuel Fakiyesi, Rasheed Ogunlana, Oladunni Segun, Sowunmi Rotimi and Efetobore Prince Wilfred, were arrested in the Alagbado area of the state.
According to the EFCC, the suspects were arrested after it received information about their alleged activities.
It was gathered that cars, mobile phones, laptops, passports, a digital video recorder and a chequebook were recovered from the suspects during their arrest.
The Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, stated that the suspects would be charged as soon as the investigation was concluded.
