Kemisola Oye
A 24-year-old Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) holder and a Graphic Artist, Roland Esin Mana has been sentenced to six months imprisonment for internet scam.
The trial judge, Justice Ismail Ijelu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja earlier today sentenced Mana to six months imprisonment for impersonation on Facebook and defrauding unsuspected citizens.
Mana was sentenced following his plea bargain agreement to one count charge of impersonation brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC alleged him of possession of documents containing false pretences wherein he represented himself as Linh Nguyen, an Asian lady, to defraud Dang Xuan whom he met on Facebook.
The anti-graft commission said his offence was contrary to the provision of Section 320 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State 2015.
He pleaded guilty to the charge.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. N. C. Mutfwang, while reviewing the facts of the case, told the court that the Commission received an intelligence report sometime in March 2024 that some young persons were into the business of internet fraud known as ‘yahoo yahoo’ who have no legitimate source of income and living exotic lifestyle and defrauding innocent citizens around Ajah.
He said that the convict was arrested and his phone was analysed under forensic tools wherein some fraudulent documents were printed out from his email account.
Mutfwang told the court that the convict confessed to having created a fake Instagram and Facebook account where he represented himself as Linh Nguyen and Nguyen Ohuc
He, therefore, tendered the convict’s extra-judicial statement, Infinix Smart 9, HP laptop and letter of plea bargain agreement.
Justice Ijelu however admitted them as exhibits after the defendant’s counsel raised no objections to their being admitted.
The judge held: “The court is satisfied that the defendant understands the plea bargain agreement and accordingly, the defendant is hereby found guilty.”
Justice Ijelu chastised the convict who was a secondary school certificate holder that the only thing he could do well was to commit crimes.
He, therefore, ordered that his Infinix Smart 9 and HP Laptop be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Prior to sentencing, the convict pleaded for mercy and prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Ijelu, therefore, gave him an option of a fine of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250, 000.00) in lieu of the six months.
Eighteen-Eleven Media