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The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar on Tuesday sentenced two men identified as Ojinnaka Malachy and Michael Kenneth Goodluck to one year imprisonment each for internet-related offences.
They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a separate one-count charge of impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
The two men were arrested by the EFCC at different locations in Akwa Ibom and Delta States.
They made confessional statements on their involvement in the cybercrimes.
While Goodluck portrayed himself as Roberto Enrique on Facebook and successfully defrauded his victim of $1000, Malachy impersonated one Caleb Ini on Facebook and took $250 from his victims.
They were convicted after pleading guilty to the charges.
One of the charges read: “That you Michael Kennet Goodluck sometime in 2022 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently presented yourself as Roberto Enrique to the duo of Hoovey and Maya on Facebook and fraudulently obtained the sum of One Thousand dollars ($1,000) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) & (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under 22 (b) and (iv) of the same Act”.
Following their plea, the prosecution counsel, S.R. Akinrinlade, reviewed the facts of the two cases and urged the court to sentence them accordingly.
The Justice Dugbo Oghoghorie thereafter convicted the defendants and sentenced them to one year imprisonment each.
They were however given an option of N500,000. 00 fine and two weeks community service within the court premises.
The convicts will forfeit their phones to the Federal Government and restitute the various sums they benefitted to their victims.