A Federal High Court in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced two internet fr@udsters, otherwise known as yahoo boys, to four years in prison.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a statement on Wednesday, March 20, said the conviction was secured by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, March 19.
The convicts, identified as machile Gabriel (alias Priest Tamara Shane) and Micah Njawindumai (alias Edgar David, Oldmangt, Professional Hacker) were charged with one-count separate charge bordering on money laundering.
The count against Gabriel read, “That you, Commander Omachile Gabriel (alias Priests Tamara Shane) on or about the year 2023 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did directly take possession of about $30.00 (Thirty United State of America Dollars) only being value of multi crypto which you reasonably ought to have known that the funds form part of proceeds of an unlawful act of impersonating Priestess Tamara Shane and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
Presiding judge, Justice J.K Dagat, in his judgement, sentenced each of them to four years in prison over their internet-related offences.
Justice Dagat also ordered forfeiture of $30.00 (Thirty United States Dollars) recovered during investigation of the victim.
The EFCC had also recovered phones of different brands, laptops and others which the judge also ordered to be forfeited to the government.
