Justices Darius Khobo and Amina Ahmed Bello of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna, separately convicted and sentenced six persons to various jail terms for internet and land fraud.
While Justice Bello convicted and sentenced five persons to eight years imprisonment for internet fraud, Justice Khobo jailed one person seven years for land fraud.
Those convicted by Justice Bello are Victory Godwin (a.k.a Felix Liam) Blessed Bartholomew (a.k.a Dave Gahan) Shedrack Bisalla (a.k.a Robert Downey Jr), Bello Abiodun, and Friday Markus while Kabiru Liman was jailed by Justice Khobo.
They all pleaded guilty to one-count separate charges when they were read to them.
The charge against Godwin read “That you, Victory Godwin(a.k.a Felix Liam) “M”, sometimes in December, 2023, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Felix Liam, purportedly residing in the United States of America (USA) on Facebook, and as such assumed character as “Felix Liam” and had chats with unsuspecting persons and you thereby committed Impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under same Law.”
Based on their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, M.U Gadaka and K.S Ogunlade, urged the court to convict the defendants accordingly.
Justice Bello consequently convicted and sentenced Godwin and Bartholomew to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N150, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) each and ordered that their phones be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Judge also convicted and sentenced Bisalla to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N150, 000.
Also, Bello and Markus were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment each with an option of fine of N150, 000.00. They were also ordered to forfeit their phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In another development, Justice Khobo convicted and sentenced Liman to seven years imprisonment. He was jailed after pleading guilty to two- count charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
One of the charges read “that you Abdullahi Haladu (M) and Kabiru Liman, on or about April 2021 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, conspired among yourselves to do illegal act to wit; fraudulently obtained the sum of N1, 550,000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Malam Sani Isyak, when you falsely represented yourselves as the owners of a plot of land measuring 105×45 FADI, at Mangoron Agwai Sabon Garin Malalin, and had the authority to sale same, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Based on his plea, prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye prayed the court to prosecute the defendant accordingly.
The Judge thereafter convicted and sentenced Liman to seven years imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) on each count.
Five of the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested at various locations in Kaduna for internet-related offences. They impersonated foreigners variously and defrauded their victims through their false identities.
Only Liman was arrested for land fraud. He fraudulently obtained the sum of N1, 550,000.00 from his victim in the guise of selling a plot of land to him. He neither delivered the land nor returned the money to the victim.
