The Gombe Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of ten individuals for various offences, including internet fraud, impersonation, and employment scams.
The convicts, who were handed different prison sentences, include Emmanuel Cyriacus, Nelson Yustus, Gabriel Victor Shindu, Daniel Gambo, Miracle Bukar, Mighty Awarri, Jonathan James, Mathias Adams, Sani Safiyanu, and Muazu Shira Mutari.
Shindu, Awarri, Gambo, Bukar, Adams, Yustus, Cyriacus, and James were brought before Justices Hammed Isha and Benjamin M. Lawal of the Gombe State High Court in Yola, Adamawa State, on October 16, 2024. Safiyanu was arraigned two days earlier on October 14, 2024, in the Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, for charges related to fraud and possession of fraudulent documents. Meanwhile, Mutari was arraigned on October 8, 2024, at the Bauchi State High Court.
One of the charges against Yustus stated that he impersonated a U.S. national using his iPhone 11 to defraud individuals on messaging platforms. He posed as “Jake from Philadelphia” and gained $150 through fraudulent chats. Similarly, Safiyanu was charged with possession of fake employment documents related to government programs, including the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, INEC, and the Nigeria Police Force.
All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, leading to their convictions. Counsel to the EFCC, Saad H. Saad, urged the court to impose appropriate sentences, while the defence requested leniency, citing remorse from the convicts.
Justice Isha sentenced Shindu, Awari, Bukar, and Gambo to 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of N300,000 each. Justice Lawal sentenced Yustus, Cyriacus, and James to 10 years in prison, with the option of a N200,000 fine each. Mathias Adams was handed a five-year sentence with the option of a N200,000 fine.
In other rulings, Justice Salisu sentenced Safiyanu to five years in prison with an additional one-year term for possession of fraudulent documents. Both sentences carry fine options. Justice Abubakar sentenced Mutari to two years in prison with a N200,000 fine.
Separately, the EFCC also arraigned four individuals—Solomon Yohanna, Shedrach Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, and Abdullahi Abubakar—on charges of forgery and impersonating EFCC officials to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians. The accused were charged before Justice Hammed Isha for forging EFCC documents to deceive the Guyuk Local Government in Adamawa State.
Yohanna pleaded guilty, while the other three defendants entered not-guilty pleas. The court granted bail to the three accused in the sum of N5 million with sureties, and Yohanna was remanded at the Yola Correctional Centre. The case was adjourned to November 15, 2024, for trial and review.