By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday February 19 arraigned a young man whose name is Gift Erhimu Oghenerioborue (a.k.a. Paul Schlett) before Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
The defendant was arraigned on one count charge bordering on the offence of Cybercrime which is contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.
The EFCC prosecutor, Mr Suleiman Suleiman told the court that the defendant fraudulently impersonated one Paul Schlett by holding himself out as such on his Google account with intent to gain advantage for himself and defraud his unsuspecting victims.
When the charge was read out to the defendant, he pleaded guilty to the charge.
In view of his guilty plea, the prosecution called a witness, Mr Adeosun Lanre Samuel who works with the Commission for review of the facts of the case.
After the review of the facts and tendering of instruments used in committing the offence as evidence, the court asked the defendant if he has any objection to what the prosecution said and tendered. The defendant admitted all that was said and tendered.
Consequently, the court admitted the items tendered as exhibits and convicted the defendant as charged.
In her allocutus, the defence counsel for the convict prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy for the convict.
The counsel said that the convict is a first time offender and pleaded guilty without wasting the precious time of the court.
She urged the court to consider non-custodial sentence for the convict, adding that an option of fine is preferable.
After listening to the allocutus, Justice Kala said that having listened to the plea for mercy by the defence counsel, the convict is “hereby sentenced to 2 years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 in addition to 30 days community service. All the items recovered from the convict should be forfeited to the government.”
