Defendant jailed 2years for cyber crime

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, convicted and sentenced a convict, Gift Oghenerioborue, to a term of two years imprisonment over cybercrime.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the convict, a.k.a. Paul Schlett, before Justice Ibrahim Kala, on one-count charge bordering on cybercrime.

He pleaded guilty to the charge.

In view of his guilty plea, the prosecutor, Mr Suleiman Suleiman, reviewed the facts of the case through a witness, Mr Adeosun Lanre, an operative with the commission.

The prosecutor tendered, as evidence, documents as well as other exhibits used by the defendant in committing the offence.

The court then asked the defendant if he had any objection to the evidences of prosecution and the defendant replied in the negative.

The court, consequently, admitted the evidences tendered as exhibits and convicted the defendant as charged.

In his verdict afterwards, Justice Kala said having listened to the plea for mercy, the convict is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine.

The court also sentenced the convict to 30 days community service.

The court ordered that all items recovered from the convict should be forfeited to the Federal Government.

In the charge, the prosecutor said the convict fraudulently impersonated one Paul Schlett by holding himself out as such on his Google account with an intent to gain advantage for himself and defraud unsuspecting victims

The offence contravenes the provisions of Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015