By Felix Kuyinu
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Ifeanyi Emmanuel for allegely involving himself in cybercrime.
Emmanuel, graduate of Computer Science from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu University, Anambra State was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos and sentenced to one-year imprisonment for the dating scam act
The suspect, also under prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), on two-count charges bordering on cybercrime was said to have impersonated one Benjamin Valdez on his Google account
The EFCC also alleged that the defendant was arrested sometime in October, 2023 following credible intelligence received by the agency on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in Fine County Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, adding that an iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone X and Mercedez Benz C300 were recovered from him at the point of arrest.
The agency also disclosed that upon his arrest, Emmanuel was duly processed which led to his voluntary statements confessing to the charges. He stated that he got N3.2m proceeds from the crime
while investigations were conducted and forensic evidence were printed out from his phone.
The agency investigated and printed out forensic evidence from his phone and read the count : “That you, Ohaguim Ifeayin Emmanuel, sometime in October, 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently impersonated one “Benjamin Valdez” by holding yourself out as such on your Google Account and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
The judge, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment, with an option of fine of N200,000
Echonews gathered that all exhibits were admitted by the court while the Judge in similar vein ordered that the mobile phones and Mercedes Benz C300 recovered from him be forfeited to the Nigeria Government.
