* Son, mother get 5 years jails terms
* Girlfriend bags 2 years imprisonment
In what can be regarded as very strange and unusual conduct, Justice F. A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State has convicted and sentenced a man, Gift Kenneth; his mother, Dora Animam and his girlfriend, Spice Chimzi Igwe, to different prison terms, following their involvement in internet-related fraud.
Kenneth, his biological mother, Animam and girlfriend, Igwe, were arraigned on one count charge by the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for offences bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.
They were said to have conspired to defraud an American lady, Lucinda Ann Henrichson of an aggregate sum of $902,935.
The charge against Gift Kenneth reads in part: “That you, Gift Kenneth (a.k.a Raymond Carl Eric ) on or about the year 2018 and 2019 at Agbor did fraudulently impersonate the identity of Raymond Carl Eric by which you propose an Infrastructural Investment Project to one Lucinda Ann Garnes Henrichson living in Texas, United States of America and thereby induced her to transfer the aggregate sum of $ 902,935 through various third parties’ ( Shuaibu Abdullahi and Dora Animam ) Bank accounts which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22 (2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention, Etc) Act 2015 and punishable under section 22 (2)(b)(IV) of the same Act”.
The charge against Dora Animam reads in part: “That you Dora Animam on or about the year 2018 and 2019 at Agbor did aid Gift Kenneth ( a.k.a Raymond Carl Eric ) with your Diamond Bank account Number: 0097188910 and Access Bank account Number : 00928225267 to receive an aggregate sum of $166,000 from one Lucinda Ann Garnes Henrichson living in Texas and N27,000,000, from Lucinda Ann Garnes Henrichson and Shuaibu Abdullahi respectively being part of the fund transferred by Lucinda Ann Garnes Henrichson for your fraudulent proposed Infrastructural Investment Project and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27(1)(b) and 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition Prevention, Etc) Act ,2015 and punishable under section 22 (2)(b)(IV) of the same Act”.
When the EFCC brought the convicts to court and the charge was read to them, they all pleaded guilty to the criminal offence.
In view of their pleas, the prosecuting EFCC lawyer, Francis .Jirbo, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
In his verdict over the matter, Justice Olubanjo convicted and sentenced both Gift Kenneth and his mother, Dora Animam to five years imprisonment or a fine of N3million each while Spice Chimzi Dandy Igwe was sentenced to two years imprisonment or a fine of N100,000.
The court also ordered that all items recovered during investigation which included Mercedes Benz CL250, Mercedes Benz 300, iPhone I1 Promax, iPhone XX Max, Apple Mac book Pro, 2 Apple Mac book, N4million found in his account, Twin 4 bedroom uncompleted duplex in Asaba, the cash sum of N4million found on him and $4,255 recovered from his contractor should be forfeited and restituted to the victim through the American Embassy.
