By Amofokhai Williams
The gavel fell hard in Benin City on Wednesday as five self-styled “Yahoo Boys” were sent to prison for their roles in internet fraud.
Justice M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court convicted Blessing Osakporlor Zabayo, Divine Eromosele Aisuegbehien, Daniel Destiny Adeniyi, Uche Destiny, and Saturday Michael Idongesit after they all pleaded guilty to charges pressed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The fraudsters were nailed on separate one-count charges of advance fee fraud, obtaining money by false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents, and retention of crime proceeds.
In one charge, Aisuegbehien was accused of using his iPhone 12 Pro to store fake documents designed to swindle unsuspecting victims, an act prosecutors said clearly violated the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.
With no room left for denial, the fraudsters owned up to their crimes, forcing their lawyers to beg for leniency.
But EFCC counsel, I.K Agwai, Ibrahim Faisal, M.S. Dahiru and Ibrahim Al-Amin, urged the court to send a strong message against cybercrime.
Justice Itsueli handed two-year jail terms to Aisuegbehien, Zabayo, and Adeniyi, with an option of ₦300,000 fine each. Destiny and Idongesit received the same two-year sentence, but with a lighter fine of ₦200,000 each.
Their punishment didn’t stop there. The court ordered the forfeiture of their laptops, mobile phones, and all funds in their bank accounts, declaring them proceeds of crime. Each convict also signed undertakings to turn a new leaf.
The EFCC revealed that the young men’s downfall began when intelligence reports exposed their web of online scams, leading operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate to swoop in and arrest them.
The commission hailed the verdict as another win in Nigeria’s ongoing battle to rid society of cybercriminals masquerading as entrepreneurs.
