The Edo State High Court in Benin City has found 23 online scammers guilty and sentenced them to various jail terms.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said that the punishment occurred between April 11 and April 17, 2025.
In a statement posted on X through its official social media account, the EFCC confirmed that the inmates’ journey to the correctional center began with their apprehension during a sting operation carried out by Benin Zonal Directorate agents after intelligence revealed their fraudulent activities.
The statement added that the online scammers had been found guilty and punished by Justices W.I. Aziegbemhin and A.N. Erhabor of the Edo State court located at the aforementioned location.
The statement reads, “The convicts are: Uzorchukwu Peace Udoka, Erubasa Oghenetega, David Ogwunu, Jude Okólie, Lucky Ehizojie, Chineye Isioma Christian, Obadiunor Josoph Ikechukwu, Ugochukwu Adingwu, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, Patrick Chinedu Chukwujekwe, Ugboh Chibuzor, Monday Shedrack, Udochukwu Onuka, Uzodion Luke and Ehighola Emmanuel Akhere.”
“Others are Godstime Osunde Oskpolor, Promise Onyugboh, Onuka Patrick, Chinonso Peter Iwuchukwu, Ajayi Aisosa, Aiwansoba Prince, Goddey Jeremiah and Ojimah John Oseni.”
The convicts were indicted on one count, separate charges revolving around “obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Commission.”
Chinonso Peter Iwuchukwu’s charge states, “That you Chinonso Peter Iwuchukwu (m) on or about the 12th of April, 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession, documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The anti-graft agency claims that all of the defendants subsequently entered “guilty” pleas to the allegations against them, prompting the prosecution’s attorneys, F.A. Jirbo, I.M. Elodi, and K.Y. Bello, to implore the court to find them guilty and sentence them appropriately.
However, the defendants’ attorneys begged the court to administer punishment with mercy, emphasizing that they had grown regretful of their actions.
The statement further reads, “Justice Erhabor convicted and sentenced Chinonso Peter Iwuchukwu, Jude Okolie, Obadiunor Josoph Ikechukwu, Ugochukwu Adingwu, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, Patrick Chinedu Chukwujekwe, Ugboh Chibuzor, Monday Shedrack, Udochukwu Onuka, Ehighola Emmanuel Akhere, Godstime Osunde Oskpolor, Promise Onyugboh, Onuka Patrick, Aiwansoba Prince, Goddey Jeremiah, Ojimah John Oseni to two years imprisonment each or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine respectively, while the duo Chineye Isioma Christian and Uzodion Luke were sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment each or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine respectively.”
Justice W.I. Aziegbemhin, on the other hand, convicted and sentenced “Uzorchukwu Peace Udoka, Erubasa Oghenetega, Ajayi Aisosa to two years imprisonment, each or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine respectively. The duo of David Ogwunu, Lucky Ehizojie were convicted and sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment each or to pay N500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) fine respectively.”
They also wrote a commitment to act well going forward. Additionally, their phones, computers, and bank accounts were forfeited to the Federal Government as profits of crime.
