Court Jails Two Internet Fraudsters in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced two men, Harrison Patrick Egileoniso and Samuel Promise, to three and two years imprisonment respectfully for their involvement in internet fraud activities.

Egileoniso bagged three years imprisonment after pleading “guilty” to a three-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretences filed against him by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

One of the counts charge read: “That you, Harrison Patrick Egileoniso (aka Nandi Dlamini), between August 2020 and January 2021 at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this court, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of 2000 Pesos phd via your PalmPay account under the pretext that the said sum was an investment with a brokerage platform (Xtreme Prime), a pretense you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (1) (1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

After the plea by Egileoniso, the prosecution counsel, M.T. Iko, prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. But the defendant’s counsel, Collins Philip, who did not oppose the prayer of the prosecution, asked the court to temper justice with mercy.

Ruling on the arguments, the trial Judge, Justice E. A  Obile, convicted and sentenced Egileoniso to one-year imprisonment on count one with an option of a fine of N100,000 and two years on count two with an option of fine of N200,000.

Similarly, Justice Obile also convicted and sentenced Samuel Promise to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N200,000 on one count bordering on cybercrime.

The charge read: “That you Samuel Promise (aka Jonica Keating, Amahle Maddison) between March 2022 to May 2022 at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this court fraudulently represented yourself as Jonica Keating and Amahle Maddison on Facebook/Instagram to Saores Jacques, a Brazilian, and obtained the total sum of $2, 617.50 from Saores Jacque, Krysnamayi, Muhammed and Venkat Amara, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention etc.) Act, 2015 punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of the same Act.”

When the charge was read before Promise in the court, he pleaded “guilty”.

In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Iko, prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

The court ordered that the Oppo A96, V207, and black Samsung AO2S smartphones which were recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

THISDAY learnt that the two convicts have been at the Correctional Centre in Port Harcourt after they were arrested by the operatives of the EFCC during a sting operation in April 2022 at Ada George and Choba axis of Port Harcourt for involvement in internet fraud activities.