Justice I. A. Isiaka of the State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, has convicted and sentenced Al-Mustapha Isah Gupa and Qareeb Adekunle Yusuf to three years imprisonment for internet fraud.
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted the convicts on separate one-count charges of cheating and impersonation.
The charge against Yusuf reads: “That you, Qareeb Adekunle Yusuf (a.k.a. Teddy Swims), ‘m’, between January and April 2025, at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, cheated several unsuspecting victims of the total sum of $200 when you falsely presented yourself as Teddy Swims on Facebook (an online social media platform) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”
The charge against Gupa reads: “That you, Al-Mustapha Isah Gupa (a.k.a. Ritchie Inman), on or about April 20, 2024, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Ritchie Inman (a white man) via Facebook and in such assumed character cheated unsuspecting members of the public and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under the same law.”
When the charges were read to them, they pleaded guilty, prompting the prosecuting counsel, M. U. Gadaka and M. Arumemi, to pray that the court would convict and sentence them accordingly. The defence counsel, however, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the convicts had shown remorse for their actions.
Justice Isiaka sentenced Yusuf to three years imprisonment or the option of paying a fine of N400,000. In addition, he forfeited $200 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max, which were used in committing the crime, to the federal government.
Gupa was also sentenced to three years imprisonment or a fine of N150,000. Furthermore, he forfeited an iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was used in his crime, to the federal government. Gupa was arrested at Bafra Hotel, while Yusuf was apprehended at Command Junction, both in Kaduna metropolis.
(Guardian)
