COURT JAILS INTERNET FRAUDSTER IN UYO

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Justice Maureen Adaobi Onyetenu of the Federal High Court jailed an internet fraudster

On Monday, September 25, 2023, Justice Maureen Adaobi Onyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, jailed an internet fraudster, Prince Mbang Uba, on a two count charge of criminal impersonation and obtaining false pretense to the tune of $30.

One of the charges read: “That you, Prince Mbang Uba (aka Sophia Johnson) in 2023 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently presented yourself as Sophia Johnson on social media platform (Facebook) and obtained the sum of Three Hundred United States Dollars ($300) only, from one Bernie Smith and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) & (ii) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (b) (iv) of the same Act”.

He pleaded “guilty” to the charges and in view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Victor Ukagwu, presented the facts of the case and tendered the following before the court: convict’s statements, his iPhone X and all the incriminating documents printed from his phone, which the court admitted in evidence.

Ukagwu thereafter prayed the court to convict and sentence Uba accordingly. However, defence counsel, Innocent Eze pleaded for leniency and sued the court to temper Justice with mercy. The court thereafter convicted and sentenced Uba to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N500, 000( Five Hundred Thousand Naira only).

Uba’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested by operatives of the Commission on June 6, 2023 along Parliamentary Road in Calabar, Cross River State for online criminal activities. Investigations revealed that the convict specialized in impersonating foreign nationals and using social media platforms to defraud his unsuspecting victims.

In a similar incident, Justice Onyetenu remanded a lawyer, Imoh Johnson Ekong, to the Uyo Correctional Facility on September 25, 2023, for alleged N12 million property fraud.

According to a lawsuit filed by one Ime Akpan Umo, who claimed to have paid Ekong N12 million as a down payment for a property at No. 38 Ikpa Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, he was detained by EFCC agents on December 5, 2017. However, the petitioner was unable to pay the remaining balance of N28,000,000 (Twenty Eight Million Naira) for the property because he discovered that the Power of Attorney that Ekong had given him had allegedly been faked. Additionally, he learned that the property in question had previously been sold to another party.

Ekong was arrested and arraigned at the State High Court Uyo, where he was granted bail in 2019. But he jumped bail. He was re-arrested by operatives of the Commission and arraigned on Monday, September 25, 2023 on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and criminal conversion.

One of the charges against him reads: “That you, Barr. Imoh Johnson Ekong on or between March and April 2015 in Uyo within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did use the sum of Twelve Million Naira (N12, 000.000), property of Ime Akpan Umo which you reasonably ought to have known formed proceeds of unlawful acts to wit; stealing by fraudulent conversion and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act”.

He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him, and in view of his plea, Ukagwu informed the court that the defendant had previously jumped bail and asked for his remand at the Uyo Correctional facility.

Justice Onyetenu remanded him at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till October 19, 2023 for hearing on his bail application.