Justice S.M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court in Kano has convicted and sentenced 12 individuals for various cyber-related crimes. The convicts - Michael Yakubu, Udo Promise Jonah, Promise Isah Ibrahim, Samuel Odeh, Abdulsamad Muhammad, Agboeze Chibueke Ernest, Ochuba Chigozie, Abu David Eleojo, David Aaron, Chidi Destiny Chidiebere, Collins Noel, and Ola Ajibola, were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Each faced separate one-count charges ranging from cybercrime, impersonation, to money laundering. They all pleaded guilty, prompting the court to deliver swift judgments.

Yakubu was found guilty of impersonating a U.S. citizen on Instagram to defraud victims of $300, while Chigozie retained $200 linked to illegal activities.

Sentences included:  

1. Chigozie and Eleojo - 5 years imprisonment each or N500,000 fine; forfeiture of phones and dollars.

2. Yakubu, Jonah, Aaron, and Odeh - 5 years each or N400,000 fine; gadgets and fraudulent funds forfeited.

3. Chidiebere - 4 years or N400,000 fine; forfeiture of iPad Pro II and $100.

4. Noel, Ajibola, and Ernest - 2 years each or N400,000 fine; devices and funds forfeited.

5. Ibrahim and Muhammad - 3 years each or N300,000 fine; forfeiture of phones and fraudulent funds.

All forfeited items - including multiple high-end smartphones, laptops, and thousands of dollars, are to be handed over to the federal government.

The convicts were arrested in Nasarawa and Niger States after EFCC investigations exposed their fraudulent online activities.