A High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, FCT has ordered a student, Istifanus Irmiya, to clean the premises of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for internet fraud.
EFCC arraigned Irmiya on a two-count charge of cheating and impersonation.
The prosecutor, Ms Taiwo Aromolaran, told the court that the defendant had sometime in 2022 cheated by Impersonation.
Aromolaran said he deceived his victim while pretending to be one mistress Clara, a female Caucasian.
She said the convict carried out an illegal act, making one Alex Lexis, a German, send him the sum of 250 Euros which he received via PayPal and Nosh Apps before transferring to his own account domiciled with Polaris Bank.
Irmiya pleaded guilty to the charges and begged the court for leniency.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, June 8, Justice Aliyu Shafa sentenced Irmiya to clean the commission’s premises from 9am to 12 noon daily for two weeks.
Shafa also ordered Irmiya to pay a fine of N100,000.
He ordered that the phone used by the convict to perpetuate the crime be burnt.
“I have carefully listened to the plea of allocutus made by the convict and the defence counsel.
“The rate of internet fraud through Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, among others in society is so alarming. That he is a first-time offender is not an excuse to go scot-free.
“The rate of Yahoo-Yahoo among youths is alarming. Many who resort to crime always have the ‘I want to get rich quick’ mindset. Sending him to prison might make him more hardened,” the judge ruled.
Earlier, the convict pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that he would not indulge in such acts again.
“I want to beg the court for mercy. I’m deeply sorry for what I have done. I’m a changed person now knowing fully well the consequences of my offence,” he said.
The Defence Counsel, Mr Chibuike Chima, in support of the allocutus by the convict, told the court that Irmiya had no previous conviction record and was also remorseful.
“Irmiya is the only son of the family and he is seeking admission into the university. He has spent one month in EFCC custody.
“The convict has shown remorse and genuinely repented over the crime he has committed by way of expressing genuine repentance, he has restituted the proceeds of crime which is the sum of 250 Euros.
“The convict is a first-time offender. He has not been convicted for any other crime of whatever kind. We urge my lord to temper justice with mercy.
“We assure this court that going forward, the convict will be of good behaviour,” Chima pleaded.