No Short Cut to Wealth, Bawa Tells Corp Members

The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, Thursday, May 11, 2023, charged the youth to embrace hard work and shun the lure of quick and instant wealth.

The EFCC chairman gave this charge during a sensitization lecture on the Role of Youths in Curbing Economic and Financial Crimes at the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camps across the country, Speaking through Williams Oseghale, Head, Public Affairs Department, Benin Zonal Command at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Okada, Edo State, Bawa said “There is no short cut to success. Those who take short cuts are always cut short. Yahoo yahoo is a crime against humanity and God. It is not a sustainable way of life. The EFCC urges you to be innovative, forward looking and hard thinkers.”

The EFCC boss urged the corps members to enlist in the anti-graft army by joining the NYSC/EFCC Anti-Corruption CDS group. “We encourage you to join the group. It is a platform that offers you the opportunity to work with the advocacy arm of the Commission and to be in a position to serve as charge agents by helping to mould kids in schools across the nation”

At the NYSC Temporary Orientation Camp, Government, College, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna, the Executive Chairman who was represented by CSE Nana Fatima Abubakar of the Public Affairs Department, Kaduna Zonal Command, urged the youths to harness their intelligence and energy for greater public good in their various areas of primary assignment and be change agents during their one year compulsory service by embracing only acts that could add positive value to the country’s aspirations.

At the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp Iseyin, Oyo State, Bawa charged Nigerian youths to shun corruption and other social vices that could endanger their future and jeopardize the socio-economic growth of the country. He stated that the youths must rise to the challenge of curbing economic and financial crimes, including corruption in our society and not use poverty and unemployment as basis to perpetrate internet fraud. The message was presented on his behalf by DSE Egbodofo Olumide. Head of Public Affairs Department of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC,

“The menace of internet fraud among our youths is worrisome as youths are getting involved deeply in cybercrimes to the detriment of their future and the image of our nation. The fraudulent claim to reparation as basis for internet fraud is unacceptable and criminal.

“The lazy excuses of poverty and unemployment as rationalization and justification for internet crimes are also untenable as poverty should not be an excuse for criminality, and unemployment cannot be a basis for defrauding others of their hard-earned income,” Bawa said.

At the NYSC Orientation Camp Katsina, Idris Isiyaku, Head, Public Affairs, Kano Zonal Command, who represented the Executive Chairman, charged the Corps members to be whistle blowers by exposing corrupt activities in their communities.

“The message of the EFCC to you all this morning is that you should become whistle blowers in any place where you find yourself by reporting acts that fail the simple test of integrity. It is no use lamenting that things are not right with our country. We are inviting you to lend a hand in helping us build a society where there is respect for law and order and where impunity is a thing of the past, ” he said.

Bawa further encouraged the corps member to not lose hope in Nigeria and to believe in its potential of one day becoming a great nation.

“We are convinced that all hope is not lost in the effort to bring this country back from the brink. As dynamic young men and women, our desire is to harness your intelligence and energy for greater public good in your areas of primary assignments.”

At the Orientation Camp located in Ise/Orun/Emure area of Ekiti State, Superintendent of EFCC, Gbenga Adewoye of the Public Affairs Department, Ilorin Zonal Command, who presented the Executive Chairman’s message, charged the corps members to take full ownership of the fight against economic and financial crimes.

Similar messages were presented to Corps members in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Makurdi, among others.

Abuja Courts Jail Eight Yahoo Boys for Impersonation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, secured the conviction of eight internet fraudsters before Justices Chinyere Nwecheonu, A.A Akobi A.I. Kutigi and V.S Garba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

Five of the convicts: Emmanuel Ogochukwu, Ugochukwu Mathias and Aderele Adekunle, Abdullahi Adebola Ayinde and Matthew Ushie Adie were prosecuted before Justice Nwecheonwu of the FCT High Court, Kuje on one count charge each.

Adie’s charge reads, “that you, Matthew Ushie Adie, sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by impersonation when you presented yourself as a citizen of the United Kingdom using Facebook platform and benefitted the sum of Four Million, Four Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira Only (N4,410,000) from one Jeremy Justice Meir, a fact you knew to be false and committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act”.

Ogochukwu, pretending to be Kob Sook Dennis cheated one Yen Tran on Facebook platform. Ugochukwu also pretending to be Arjun Sharma on Instagram cheated unsuspecting females of the sum of $400 (Four Hundred US Dollars). Aderele, pretending to be one Finalisa, the daughter of one Lee Bruce, a contractor from Hong Kong, obtained the sum of 3000 RMB (Three Thousand Renminbi), while Abdullahi created an Instagram account in the name of an American actor, Tom Cruise and in that assumed character obtained the sum of $80 (Eighty US Dollars) from one Anne Line Bergh alias Sarafina Carly, a Norwegian citizen.

Justice Nwecheonu sentenced all five defendants to one year in prison with options of fine as follows: Emmanuel Ogochukwu and Abdullahi both bagged a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand naira) each, while Aderele is to pay N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. Ugochukwu and Adie were fined N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) each.

In addition, all convicts are to forfeit proceeds of crime to the Federal Government.

In a related development, one Raphael Samuel Maduabuchi who was prosecuted before Justice A.A Akobi of the FCT High Court Gwagwalada on a one count charge for cheating by personation when he presented himself as a white woman named ‘plasticjuggernaut787’ from the United States of America to obtain a total sum of $500 (Five Hundred United States Dollars) from Damonnava as transport fare to meet him, was sentenced to community service including cutting the grass within the court premises, after pleading guilty to the charge.

Also, his Samsung Galaxy S9 phone is to be forfeit to the Federal Government.

Also, Justice A.I. Kutigi of the FCT High Court Jabi, Abuja convicted one Prince David on a one count charge of cheating by impersonation when he created a Reddit application with nude female pictures with the name Ladiphilipol and obtained One Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($150) from one Josef, pretending to be in a romantic relationship with him.

He was sentenced to one month in prison with a N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) option of fine.

In the same vein, one Igbafen Ifijen was convicted by Justice V.S Garba of FCT High Court Kuje for cheating by impersonation when he presented himself as a white man from Germany using a dating site called ‘Lovoo’ and benefitted the sum of EUR3, 145 (Three Thousand One Hundred and Forty Five Euro) only from one Jutta, Audrea and Eike, all German women. The offence is contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act

Igbafen, after pleading guilty to the charge was convicted by Justice Garba and sentenced to a one year jail term with an option N75,000 (Seventy Five Thousand Naira) fine.