A Nigerian student who posed as a female Caucasian and succeeded in getting a German man to send him 250 Euros, will clean the premises of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as punishment, a court in Abuja ruled Thursday.
– Key points to note
Istifanus Irmiya was charged by the EFCC with cheating and impersonation before the Federal Capital Territory high court in Gwagwalada.
He pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
“I want to beg the court for mercy. I’m deeply sorry for what I have done. I’m a changed person now knowing fully well the consequences of my offence,” Mr Irmiya said.
The judge, Aliyu Shafa, convicted the man but ruled that sending him to prison might harden him.
Instead, he sentenced Mr Irmiya to clean the anti-corruption agency’s premises from 9 a.m. to 12 noon daily for two weeks. He also ordered him to pay a fine of N100, 000.
The judge also ordered that the phone the man used to carry out fraud be destroyed.
“The rate of internet fraud through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, among others in the society is so alarming. That he is a first-time offender is not an excuse to go scot-free,” the judge said.
– No previous record
Mr Irmiya is seeking admission into the university. Before his sentencing, he had spent a month in EFCC custody, his lawyer Chibuike Chima said.
The lawyer said he was first time offender and asked the court to show mercy.
“Irmiya is the only son of the family and he is seeking admission into the university. He has spent one month in EFCC custody,” he said.
He said the man had shown “genuine repentance” by paying back 250 Euros he received from his victim.
In seeking a conviction, prosecutor Taiwo Aromolaran urged the court to consider the spate of internet fraud in Nigeria.
“They believe that merely coming to court and pleading guilty is enough to attract the sympathy of the court,” she said.
– Learn more
Ms Aromolaran said the convict in 2022 deceived his victim by pretending to be a woman, named Clara, from either North America or Europe.
A German, Alex Lexis, apparently seeking a relationship, wired money to Mr Irmiya who got paid through PayPal and Nosh Apps before transferring the money to his Polaris Bank account.
She said the offence violates the penal code and the Advance Fee Fraud law.
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