By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has jailed five internet fraudsters (popularly known as Yahoo Boys) to six months’ jail terms each.
Converseer reports that the fraudsters were convicted and sentenced by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the court on Tuesday 22nd July 2025, after pleading guilty to separate charges bordering on criminal impersonation on the internet.
The names of convicts are Okon Dennis Akpan, Franklin Agara Mbeh, Peter Chinedu Okpaga, Nwofoke Celestine and Paul Egede Chinedu.
They were charged to court by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
One of the charges reads: “That you, Nwofoke Celestine ‘M’ sometime in 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did fraudulently impersonate Victoria Chiara on Facebook with the intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b) (i ) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, prevention) Act 2015 and punishable under the same Section.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Commission, and in view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Temiloluwa Oladipupo reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ojukwu immediately convicted and sentenced each of them to six months’ jail term and a fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) each
They forfeited all items used in committing the crimes to the Federal Government.
“The convicts got to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the Commission for internet crimes,” the EFCC said.
