Court sentence Mike Ozekhome kidnappers to a 20-year prison sentence

Court Sentence ten ‘yahoo boys’ for fraud,Theft On September 14, 2023, Justice O. A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, found ten individuals guilty of separate counts of internet fraud. Ikyegh Senenge Bobo, Anum Cyprian Sesugh, Boniface Udoo Aondofa, Utor Stanley Torkuma, Obande Emmanuel, James Ekere, Tony Ochekwu Moda, Ochaje James, Shadrach Ugbu Aondona, and Odumu Michael are the defendants who were brought to justice by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The prisoners were taken into custody in Makurdi at various locations for allegedly participating in cybercrime. According to the investigation, they used various aliases to deceive people into entering into phony social relationships so they could steal money from them. Senenge was found guilty and given a one-year prison term with the possibility of a N500,000 fine by Justice Egwuatu. He was told to hand over two plots of land in Phase 1 of Makurdi's Gboko Road, an iPhone 13 Pro, a Pontiac Vibe 2009 model, and other items to the Nigerian federal government. Cyprian was given a one-year sentence with the possibility of a fine of N500,000. Additionally, he gives up an iPhone 11 Pro Max to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Aondofa was given a one-year prison term with the possibility of a fine of N200,000.00 and was ordered to give up an iPhone 7 to the Nigerian federal government. Stanley was given a one-year prison term and given the option of paying a fine of N200,000.00 or forfeiting an iPhone to the Nigerian federal government. In addition, he must give the victim N97,900 (Ninety Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Naira) in restitution. James received a one-year sentence with the option of a N100,000 fine and forfeited an iPhone 14 Pro Max to the Federal Government, while Emmanuel received the same punishment. Ochekwu and Ochaje received sentences of one year in prison with a possible fine of one million naira and 500,000 points, respectively. Ochaje was given orders to forfeit one iPhone 6 and one HP laptop to the Federal Government of Nigeria, while Ochekwu must forfeit an iPhone 3 and an iPhone 8. Michael and Shadrach were given the option of paying a fine of N200,000 and N300,000, respectively, in addition to their one-year sentences. Shadrach was told to give the federal government an iPhone XR. Some of the charges read: “That you, Ikyegh Senenge Bobo “M” sometime between December, 2022 to May, 2023 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, sent an electronic message to one Daniella Alias Nagako, a female Japanese citizen based in the United States of America vide an Online App where you disguise yourself as a male citizen of Texas, United States of America with the name Nakamora by procuring Apple iTunes Cards valued at N5,662,200.00 from her and converted the proceeds into your Opay Limited wallet, Ikyegh Msendoo Mercy’s GT and Keystone Bank accounts respectively and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under same Section of the Act. “That you, Obande Emmanuel “M” (22 years) sometime between March and April, 2022 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained the sum of $1000 USD from unsuspecting foreign nationals by using Instagram account “taratwithdephina” through which you claimed to be a fortune teller offering consultancy and palm reading service to help them succeed in life and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (1) (iv) of the Act. “That you, Abah James Ekere “M” (33 years) on or about 22 June, 2021, in Makurdi, Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud knowingly sent electronic messages to Access Bank Plc and GT Bank that materially misrepresented the fact that a transaction of N1,500,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) failed from your Access Bank account No. 0025620094 and GT. Bank account No. 0642871829 (from PoS terminal) which the Banks relied upon by making a chargeback to Accelerex Network Nigeria Limited who suffered a loss and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14 (2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under same Section of the Act. “That you, Shadrach Ugbu Aondona on or about February, 2022 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, used the identity of one Caitlyn Anderson, an America social media model and created a Gmail account, caitlynaanderson2012@gmail.com linked with your Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts and sent fictitious messages to unsuspecting foreign nationals and obtained the sum of $2,000 (Two Thousand Dollars) only, which was converted and transferred to your Opay Account number 8073746212 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) (iv) of the same Act”.

Two of the four defendants accused of abducting Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, were found guilty on Friday and given sentences of 20 years in prison each by an Abuja Federal High Court.

In a ruling, Justice Binta Nyako stated that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt the charges brought against first and second defendants Frank Azuekor and Kelvin Ezeigbe.

The sentence would begin to serve on the day of their arrest, according to Justice Nyako’s ruling.

The third and fourth defendants, Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna, were cleared of the terrorism charge’s charges by the judge, who also dismissed the charges against them.

Despite the fact that some of the charges against Ezeigbe and Azuekor carried sentences that could have included the death penalty, life in prison, or at least ten years in prison, she maintained that she had discovered that the defendants had expressed regret for their criminal behavior.

Additionally, she claimed to have discovered that they had been detained for roughly ten years starting on the day of their arrest.

Omonigho, who was reportedly the chief priest, was reportedly present in court, but Haruna was not, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The chief priest replied: “I have repented my lord. Nyako warned Omonigho to be careful as people worship in your shrine in the open court. “.

Despite being exonerated of the charges against him, the judge ordered that Haruna, who was still at large, be brought before the court to answer for his sin of escaping from legitimate custody.

The prosecutor’s counsel, Chioma Onuegbu, and the defense attorney, Bala Dakum, were praised by the judge for their diligent work during the trial.

The defendants, identified by NAN as Kelvin Ezeigbe, Frank Azuekor, Michael Omonigho, and Momoh Haruna, were initially charged with 13 counts of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and acts of terrorism before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a FHC on June 9, 2014.

After the terrorist attack on Kuje Correctional Center on July 5, 2022, Haruna was reported missing while the three defendants were in court.

The Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011’s Sections 1, 8, and 10 were allegedly violated by them, according to the allegations made against them.

They allegedly did so on August 1. Mr. Ozekhome was abducted on January 23, 2013, while en route to Iviukwe in Agenebode, Edo.

Prior to his alleged release following the payment of a N28 million ransom, Ozekhome was held captive for about three weeks.

Additionally, they were charged with killing five police officers and two prison guards in addition to kidnapping the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha, Attanasius Ugbme, and his friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe.

Eghagha was accused of being forced to pay N7 million, Ugbome N20 million, and Omorogbe N3 point 5 million by the defendants.

Paul Ajaka, Sunday Ewanshiha, Michael Akpada, Bakary Ekong, and Innocent Odoh were the five police officers who allegedly perished.

Additionally, it is claimed that they killed prison guards Lawrence Edora and Oyibo Okoye and stole their service rifles.

The bail request made on behalf of the four suspects by their attorney, Bala Dakum, was rejected.

Omonigho and Haruna were kept at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja, while Ezeigbe and Azuekor were kept at the Department of State Service facility.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.