UNICAL undergraduate bags jail term for Internet fraud

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, has sentenced and convicted an undergraduate of the University of Calabar, Peter Againpriye, to three years imprisonment for internet fraud.

This followed his arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a three-count charge.

The EFCC, in a statement by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, listed the charges as impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents.

Uwujaren said the crime was contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.

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He said Againpriye was convicted on Monday, July 17, 2023, after pleading guilty to the charges.

According to the statement, one of the charges read, “That you, Peter Againpriye (aka Diana Wilson) on or about March 6, 2023, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this court with intent to defraud, did obtain €3,000 from Keess Darr under false pretence that you were investing in Forex, which representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.”

The statement indicated that the convict was arrested in June 2023, in an operation tagged, Eagle Sweep, at Golf Estate, Port Harcourt.

Uwujaren said the investigation revealed that the convict was involved in internet fraud and opened several Gmail, Instagram and Facebook accounts, and falsely presented himself as Diana Wilson in chats with Keess Darr, whom he defrauded.

The presiding judge, Justice E. A. Obile, convicted and sentenced the defendant to one-year imprisonment with an option of N50, 000 fine on each of the counts.

The judge further ordered that the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone XR recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government.