Seventeen internet fraudsters have been sentenced to prison terms by the Edo State High Courts in Benin City, following a crackdown by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The convictions were announced after the defendants were found guilty of various charges, including obtaining money under false pretenses and possessing fraudulent documents.
The court proceedings, which took place before Justices A.N. Erhabor and W.I. Aziegbemhin, saw all defendants plead guilty to the charges brought against them. The EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate conducted a sting operation that led to their arrest, based on intelligence linking them to fraudulent online activities.
Sentences varied among the convicted individuals. Nine of them received two-year prison sentences or were fined N200,000 each, while five others were sentenced to three years in prison or fined the same amount. Three additional defendants were given two-year sentences or fined N400,000 each.
In addition to their prison terms and fines, the court ordered all convicts to forfeit their mobile phones, computers, and any funds in their bank accounts to the federal government. They were also required to submit written commitments to maintain good behavior in the future.
This latest round of convictions comes shortly after another case where 29 suspected fraudsters were also sentenced by the same court. The EFCC has been intensifying its efforts to combat internet fraud, which has seen a troubling rise in Nigeria. The agency has previously raised alarms about internet fraudsters engaging in more violent crimes and has mourned the loss of one of its officers during an operation against such activities.
