Court convicts internet fraudster for N10m scam in Maiduguri

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of one Abraham Ayomikun Ajibodu before Justice K. Dagat of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, for internet fraud.

According to the Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Mr. Dele Oyewale, the convict was arraigned on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering and impersonation to the tune of N10,000,000.00.

Count one of the charges reads:

“That you, Abraham Ayomikun Ajibodu, between 2022 and 2023 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly take possession of United States of America Dollars denominated cash app and gift cards worth about $7,470.00 (Seven Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy United States Dollars), which upon conversion to naira amounted to an aggregate sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) paid into your United Bank for Africa account No. 2114324883, Abraham A. Ajibodu, being the naira equivalent value for the cash app and gift cards you received, which you knew or reasonably ought to have known is proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: your false representation to unsuspecting foreign nationals like Donna Hughs, Loreitta, Van Dough, etc., using fake social media accounts like Facebook account with the name ‘GEORGE STRAIT’, a citizen of the United States of America, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

Ajibodu pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him, and counsel to the prosecution, Abdulmalik D. Aliyu, prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Justice Dagat thereafter convicted and sentenced him to four years imprisonment on counts one and two, with an option of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine on each count.

The judge further ordered the forfeiture of the sum of $400.00 (Four Hundred Dollars), being the value of cash app and gift cards benefited by the convict, to be repatriated to the victim, as well as the forfeiture of an iPhone 13 Pro Max, an Oraimo power bank, and a used Honda Accord 2003 model to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested by operatives of the EFCC for making false representations to unsuspecting foreign nationals like Donna Hughs, Loreitta, Van Dough, and others by using fake social media accounts, such as a Facebook account with the name ‘GEORGE STRAIT’, and defrauding them in the process.