UNICAL Undergraduate Bags Jail Term For Internet Fraud

An undergraduate from the University of Calabar, Peter Againpriye, has been sentenced to three years in prison for internet fraud by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The EFCC, in a statement by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, listed the charges as impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents.

The convict, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was found to have engaged in internet fraud, creating fake profiles on Gmail, Instagram, and Facebook to deceive and defraud Keess Darr, whom he impersonated as Diana Wilson.

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He said Againpriye was convicted on Monday, July 17, 2023, after pleading guilty to the charges.

Justice E. A. Obile presided over the case and sentenced the defendant to one year in prison for each count or an N50,000 fine for each offense. Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone XR recovered from the convict to the government.

According to the statement, one of the charges read, “That you, Peter Againpriye (aka Diana Wilson) on or about March 6, 2023, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this court with intent to defraud, did obtain €3,000 from Keess Darr under false pretence that you were investing in Forex, which representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.”

The statement indicated that the convict was arrested in June 2023, in an operation tagged, Eagle Sweep, at Golf Estate, Port Harcourt.