The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said Thursday that 21 cyber fraudsters in Benin had been given jail sentences approved by the Edo State High Court.
The defendants were found guilty and sentenced separately on fraud-related charges by Justices A.N. Erhabor and W.I. Aziegbemhin of the Edo State High Court, which is located in Benin City. Precious Aigbokhai, Divine Ebosetale Okhitie, Ekpekurede Valour, Akuson Sunday, Oshoikpor Joshua, Onumegu Chukwuebuka Emmanuel, Sylvester Oseokoedion, Osifor Kenneth, Abraham Eromosele, Aliu Sanusi Aliu, and Eimuen Nathaniel are among the prisoners, according to the EFCC.
Oriarewoh Divine Eronmonsele, Stephen Edetalen Obhanoghor, Segun Nelson Owoyele, Emmanuel Essence, Godsent Omokhoa, Omere Osabvohien Love, Amavu Paul, Oseghale Paris, and Donald Emuen are part of the others.
The offenders were charged with obtaining by false pretense, keeping the proceeds of crime, and possessing counterfeit documents, according to the anti-graft organization. Agents from the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate apprehended them in a sting operation after receiving information that connected them to fraudulent online activity.
One of the charges reads:
“That you, Nathaniel (M), on or about the 14th of February 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretences, thereby committing an offence contrary to Sections 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.”
All defendants pleaded “guilty” to their charges when read to them by the court registrars.
The prosecution counsel, F.A. Jirbo, K.Y. Bello, Isa K. Agwai, Faisal Ibrahim, Al-Amin Ibrahim Abdul, Bala-Ribah, and Salihu Ahmed, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel pleaded for leniency, stating that the convicts had shown remorse for their actions.
Justice Erhabor sentenced Love, Valour, Sunday, Oriarewoh Eronmonsele, Okoedion, Omokhoa, and Kenneth to two years in jail each, with a fine option of N200,000.
Obhanoghor, Okhitie, and Paul were sentenced to three years in prison each, with the option of a N200,000 fine.
Paul, Okhitie, and Obhanoghor were all given three-year prison terms, with the possibility of an additional N200,000 fine. Owoyele and Essence received two-year prison sentences each from Justice W.I. Aziegbemhin, along with the option to pay N300,000 and N600,000 in penalties, respectively. Joshua, Emmanuel, Aigbokhai, and Andy were also given two-year prison terms each, with the possibility of paying N200,000 in fines. Aliu, Paris, Nathaniel, and Abraham Eromosele were all given two-year terms or fines of N400,000 each. Emuen received a sentence of either three years in prison or a fine of N600,000.
All prisoners received punishments that included forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria their laptops, phones, and any money in their individual bank accounts.
In addition, they had to sign written promises to behave well. This case highlights the EFCC’s continued efforts to combat online fraud. In a previous warning, the agency warned Nigerians that, among other violent crimes, internet fraudsters were carrying firearms and carrying out ritual killings.
The EFCC also lamented the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC (ASE II) Aminu Sahabi Harisu, who was killed on January 17, 2025, while investigating a suspected online fraudster, Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu.
