The EFCC is reporting that a Malaysia-based Yahoo Boy has been sentenced to 24 years in jail for a N25 Million internet scam.
Justice
Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja has
convicted and sentenced an undergraduate of Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan
University, Malaysia: Hope Olusegun Aroke to twenty-four years imprisonment for his involvement in an internet scam that fetched him Four Thousand riaait (N25,000,000).
Aroke,
25, was arraigned before Justice Okunnu on a two-count charge bordering
on obtaining money by false pretence; cheque cloning, wire transfer and
forgery. The court found him guilty of the two charges and was
sentenced to twelve years imprisonment on each of the two counts.
Troubles
came for Aroke when an anonymous petitioner wrote to the EFCC alleging
that the Kogi state-born undergraduate was involved in sundry fraudulent
activities on the internet. The EFCC swung into action and investigated
the internet dealings of Aroke.
Investigations
showed that he was involved in several romance scam that fetched him a
total sum of 4,000 riaait (Malaysian currency). Aroke admitted sending
the money to Nigeria through one Angela, who later helped him deposit
its naira equivalent, N25,000,00 (Twenty-five million Naira only), in a
new generation bank.
Upon his arrest, two exotic cars valued at N23,000,000 (Twenty-three million naira) were recovered from him.
Justice
Okunnu ruled that the sentence should run concurrently. Meanwhile,
Aroke has two other matters yet undecided before Justice B. Idris of the
Federal High Court Lagos.
While it
is good that justice has been served and we are by no means encouraging
scams, the disparity between sentences for financial crimes by normal
Nigerians versus politicians is very jarring.
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