A federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state has sentenced one Paul Otanor to six months imprisonment for defrauding a foreigner of the sum of $600.
Tony Orilade, spokesperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Otanor was handed the sentence after he was convicted of the crime by A. T. Mohammed, the presiding judge.
He was arraigned by the Port Harcourt’s zonal office of the anti-graft agency on a one-count charge bordering on impersonation.
The offence is contrary to “Section 22 (3) (a) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act”.
Trouble started for Otanor in May 2019 when operatives of the EFCC arrested him in Warri, Delta state for internet-related offences.
“Documents containing false pretences were found on him,” the statement read.
“He confessed to the crime through his written statements that he was operating different gmail accounts and identities to defraud his unsuspecting victims. Some of the gmail accounts are: paulnewlife217@gmail.com, otanor70@gmail.com and kentymark455@gmail.com. He was thereafter, charged with internet fraud.”
“The charge reads: “That you, Paul Otanor (a.k.a. Kent Mark) sometimes in May 2019, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court fraudulently impersonated one Kent Mark with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act”.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
The trail judge subsequently convicted and sentenced him to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000. He also directed that the $600 fraudulently obtained from Brenda Pearson be returned to her.