Bauchi, Adamawa Courts Jail 18 Internet Fraudsters

Justices Aminu Garba and Aisha A. Ibrahim of the Federal High Courts 1 and 2 in Bauchi State have sentenced 17 internet fraudsters to various jail terms, while Justice Ahmed Isa of the Adamawa State High Court in Yola convicted another fraudster, making a total of 18 convictions.

The convicts include:

• From Bauchi: Fumi Joshua, Nathan Timothy Aruku, Femi Johnson Adelowo, Chimieze Alajemba, Jeremiah Pam Samuel, Emmanuel Shadrach, Ibrahim Yusuf, Shikaan Martin, Mishack Daniel, Jerry Moses, Joseph Yagat Bayi, Emmanuel Pontiff, Godiya Simon, Noble Max, Perfect Nuhu, and Agbande A. Bature.
• From Adamawa: Fred Omale and Yasar Usman Hamman.

Bauchi Convictions
The defendants were arraigned by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) between November and December 2024 on one-count charges of fraudulent impersonation under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention etc.) Act, 2015.

For example, Chimieze Alajemba was charged with impersonating an American national, John Miller, using fake Facebook and Gmail accounts to fraudulently obtain $700.

The sentences included jail terms ranging from six to seven months, with options of fines:

• Pontiff: Seven months imprisonment or a fine of ₦130,000.
• Omale: Seven months imprisonment or a fine of ₦170,000.
• Joshua, Bayi, and Daniel: Seven months imprisonment or ₦170,000 each.
• Yusuf and Samuel: Seven months imprisonment or ₦100,000 each.
• Martin, Moses, and Shadrach: Seven months imprisonment or ₦130,000 each.
• Aruku, Adelowo, Alajemba, and Pam: Six months imprisonment or ₦250,000 each.
• Simon, Max, Bature, and Nuhu: Six months imprisonment or ₦150,000 each.

All mobile phones recovered during investigations were forfeited to the Federal Government.

Adamawa Conviction
Yasar Usman Hamman was convicted by Justice Ahmed Isa on December 10, 2024, on charges of impersonation and attempted cheating under the Adamawa State Penal Code Law, 2018.

Hamman impersonated a cryptocurrency trader, “benricothetrader,” to lure unsuspecting victims into fraudulent investments. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with an option of a ₦200,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the iPhone X used in the crime to the Federal Government.

Background and Investigations
The convictions followed arrests based on actionable intelligence regarding cyber-related fraud activities. The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC uncovered syndicates of young fraudsters aged between 18 and 30, operating in Bauchi and Adamawa States, defrauding victims locally and internationally.

These cases demonstrate the EFCC’s commitment to tackling cybercrime and ensuring justice for fraudulent activities in Nigeria.