
Anambra: Court Imprisons 41 Online scammers in Anambra
A Federal High Court, presided over by Justices S. M. Shuaibu and Hauwa Inuwa in Onitsha, Anambra State, has found forty-one (41) online scammers guilty and sentenced them to one year in jail apiece.

Upon their arraignment by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the convicts were placed in jail after entering a guilty plea to one-count separate charges pertaining to obtaining by false pretense, possession of fraudulent documents, personation, and aiding in the commission of an offense.
Douglas James, Raphael Chikezie Uwakwe, Paul Chidera Kalu, Chisom Linus, Chiemezie Nweke, Eze Ugochukwu Stanley, Ndubuisi Nwafor, Ifeanyi Samuel, Nwosu Chukwuemeka, Madueke Emmanuel, Edozie Daniel Timothy, Ahmed Fredrick Lukman, and Godwin are the prisoners.
Abonyi Chibuike Jude, Chukwuemelie Igboekwuna Christian, Okafor Vincent Chiemerie, Ugochukwu Raphael Ena, Chukwuemeka Franklin Obiji, Chukwuemelie Julius, and Okafor Chukwuma Desmaond.
Jezreel Arihiakamah Chinwendu, Paul Okereke Chiadi, Peter Chidera Iwu, Tochukwu Eze Solomon, Fred Chidera Okoye, Ezema Chiemerie Stanley, Emeka Ogbonna Daniel, Obinna Stanley Okafor, Udochukwu Peter Nnaewezie, Ebuka Johnson Olu, Okochi Ebuka Stanley, Promise Ogbodo Echezona, Ebuka Chukwu Joshua, Chisom Henry Udeagwueze, Ihechi Okechukwu Bright, Chibueze Maxwell Stephen, Ebuka Lucky Nwankwo, Isah Chinonso Peter, Ifeanyi Oguoke Kingsley, and Chinonso Eze Innocent are some of the others.
“That sometime in 2024 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Nigeria, you, Uwakwe Chikezie Raphael, fraudulently impersonated the identity of Everly Ruby, a female foreigner through a Google account, via your iphone X with intent to obtain money from unsuspecting foreign nationals and in order to gain advantage of yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015, and you thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act.” This is one of the separate charges.
After each of the 41 defendants’ accusations were read to them separately, they all entered “guilty” pleas. Michael Ikechukwu Ani, the EFCC’s attorney, begged that the court would find the defendants guilty and punish them appropriately in light of their pleas.
Nevertheless, the defense team, which included Wisdom Ogbonna, Bernard Okeke, James Nwatarali, and Arinze Anyigo, begged the court to be kind and to combine mercy and justice while sentencing their clients, pointing out that they had sufficiently shown regret for their acts.
27 of the offenders were found guilty and given sentences by Justice Inuwa on Thursday, May 2, 2024; the remaining 14 were found guilty on Friday, May 3, 2024. Following their conviction on May 3, the following people were sentenced to one year in jail each, with the option of a fine of N100,000 (one hundred thousand naira): Chiadi, Samuel, Chinecherem, Timothy, Stanley, Bright, Iwu, Lukman, Nweke, Chukwuemeka, Okafor, Stephen, Chiemerie, and Christian.
Along with ordering the items recovered from the convicts—including their laptops and cell phones—to be auctioned through the EFCC and the proceeds deposited into the Treasury Single Account, the Justices also mandated that the convicts participate in community service in Anambra in accordance with Section 462 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
When they were apprehended for their roles in online fraud, all of the guilty men and women received lengthy jail sentences. They faced charges in court and were found guilty.