Kennedy Irabor Osasogie, a 21-year-old individual involved in internet fraud, along with seven other co-defendants, was convicted and sentenced to prison by Justice M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court in Benin City on Thursday, August 3, 2023.
Osasogie was apprehended following a petition from Antje Kdla, a German citizen, who accused him of defrauding her of significant amounts of money. The investigation by the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) confirmed his guilt. The other seven defendants were also arrested due to intelligence gathered on their illicit activities.
Each of the defendants faced separate one-count charges related to the retention of proceeds from illegal activities and unlawful possession of fraudulent documents, as presented by the Benin Zonal Command of the EFCC.
During the trial, all defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, leading the prosecution counsel, F.A. Jirbo, IK Agwai, Al-Amin.A. Ibrahim, and Ibrahim Faisal, to request the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
The defense counsel, however, appealed for leniency, highlighting that the defendants were first-time offenders who expressed remorse for their actions.
As a result of the trial, Justice Itsueli handed down the following sentences:
Kennedy Irabor Osasogie: Three years imprisonment or a fine of Three Hundred Thousand Naira.
Emmanuel Kayode Luma, Oneh Endurance, Yadina Chukwudi, and Amalawa Kingsley: Three years imprisonment or a fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira each.
Osawerinde and Kelvin Amenze: Two years imprisonment or a fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira each.
Lucky Junior Atailegbe: One month imprisonment or a fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira.
Furthermore, Justice Itsueli ruled that Osasogie should forfeit the sum of €7,040, which was recovered from him during the investigation, to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the EFCC for it to be delivered to the nominal complainant, Antje KDLA, via the German Embassy in Nigeria.
The judge ordered that one Toyota Highlander, one black Toyota Venza, and the remaining balance in the convicts’ Nigerian bank accounts, as well as their phones and laptops, which were determined to be proceeds of their criminal activities, be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The specific charge against Osasogie was for “taking possession or using the aggregate sum of N5,988,480.00, which was transferred into his bank account number 2391912926 domiciled in Zenith Bank by the trio of Irabor Clifford, Bawa Agbomer Anthony, and Endurance Nosakhare, who acted as his accomplices, with the knowledge that the money represented the proceeds of his criminal conduct, namely Cybercrime. This act constituted an offense under section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and is punishable under section 17(b) of the same Act.”
