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Internet fraud Academy proprietor to spend 10 years in jail in Uyo

The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of the proprietor of  Uyo Cybercrime Training Centre,  Ikemesit Edet ((a.k.a Hustle Kingdom HK).

Dele Oyewale, Head Media & Publicity of the EFCC who made this known said Ikemesit Edet was jailed on Wednesday  April 17, 2024 after pleading guilty to a two-count charge  bordering on impersonation, love scam, hacking/editing of social media accounts and private criminal tutoring, upon his arraignment by the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC.

Count one reads: That you IKEMESIT EDET IK sometime in January, 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court, being the occupier and a person concerned with the management of the premises situates and lying at No. 57 D-Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, did knowingly permit the use of the entire aforesaid premises as a CYBERCRIME ACADEMY, also known as Hustle Kingdom (HK) where you recruited ten (10) young Nigerians between ages 16-25 and taught them cybercrime techniques for perpetrating cyber crimes to wit: hacking, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretence (Advance Fee Fraud) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 3 of the same Act.

Count two reads: That you IKEMESIT EDET IK between May 2020 and December 2023 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did take possession of a total sum of fifteen million Naira only (-N=15,000,000.00) which you knew forms proceed of an unlawful act to wit: Cybercrime and thereby committed  an offence contrary to Section 18(2)\d) of the Money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.

Edet pleaded guilty to both charges preferred against him by the Commission, prompting  prosecution counsel,  Joshua Abolarin to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. He also prayed that the court ordered the forfeiture of all exhibits recovered from him at the point of arrest.  However, defence counsel Francis Ezike prayed the court to be lenient in sentencing the defendant.

After listening to both counsels, Justice Ojukwu convicted Edet and sentenced him to five years jail term on each count, with an option of fine of  N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) on each count.

The court also ordered that all recovered exhibits from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The exhibits include: 13 laptops, a gold- coloured Toyota Corolla, a Lexus Jeep  RX 300 and about 3,080.25 square metres of land located at Ibiaku Obio Ndobo Village, Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Edet’s journey to the Correctional Centre commenced on January 22, 2024, when investigators from the EFCC’s office in Uyo acted on intelligence and arrested 10 suspects at his Cybercrimes Training Centre at  D-Line Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo. All the suspects have been charged to court and convicted.

In a related development, the same court convicted and sentenced one Michael Melvin Onyekachi (alias ‘Raisa Pedroso’) for being in possession of fraudulent documents. He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the one- count charge preferred against him, and was immediately convicted and sentenced to  six months imprisonment with an option of fine of  N50, 000.00( Fifty Thousand Naira).

The lone-count charge reads: That you Michael Melvin Oyedikachi sometime in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently presented yourself as Raise Pedroso on Facebook social media platform with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(I) of the Cyber crimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b(iv) of the same Act.

He bagged his imprisonment when he was arrested for internet-related fraud.  He was charged to court and convicted.