By Atoyebi Nike
Justice A.A. Bello of the Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced two internet fraudsters, Stephen Ime Ibanga and Augustine Mmesoma Umunnabuike, following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of impersonation, cheating, and obtaining money by false pretence.
Ibanga, who posed as a U.S. citizen named James Armstrong on Facebook, fraudulently obtained ₦744,968 from unsuspecting victims. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years imprisonment or a ₦100,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 15, $70, and the proceeds of his fraud to the federal government.
Similarly, Umunnabuike impersonated a Korean national named Demian and defrauded members of the public via Facebook. He was sentenced to two years in prison or a ₦150,000 fine, and his iPhone 15 Pro was forfeited. Both convicts were arrested in Kafanchan and Mahuta, Kaduna State.
In a separate case, the EFCC arraigned Samaila Adamu Gambo before Justice A. Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court on a three-count charge involving ₦5 million obtained under false pretence for a land sale. Gambo, who allegedly forged a land allocation document and sold the same plot to two different buyers, pleaded not guilty. He was granted bail of ₦2 million with one surety owning verified landed property and was remanded in a correctional facility pending bail fulfilment. The trial is set to begin on November 4, 2025.
Gambo was reported by Aminu Dalha Haruna, who alleged the defendant sold him land under false claims and later resold it to another party, with all efforts to recover the money unsuccessful.
