Court sentences undergraduate to prison

A Federal High Court sitting in Portharcourt, Rivers State has sentenced one Henry Ekanem to 14 years imprisonment for Internet fraud.

Ekanem, a final year student of the University of Portharcourt was convicted by Justice A. Mohammed upon arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on seven-count charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation

The EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale in a statement on Wednesday said the convict successfully defrauded one Diana Roskov a tune of $22 among others, by fraudulently representing himself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton through WhatsApp and Instagram chats.

Ekanem however, pleaded guilty while his Counsel F. Fred-Boufini prayed the court to temper justice with mercy stressing that the defendant was a first time offender with no previous criminal records.

However, Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the seven -count or an option of fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The judge also ordered that all the phones recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government and the convict to depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.