Four Internet Fraudsters Get Jail Sentences In PH

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justices P. I. Ajoku, P. I. Ayua and S. I. Mark has convicted and sentenced four middle aged men to various jail terms over their involvement in fraud.

The convicts who bagged various jail terms on Wednesday are Daniel Ebubechi Chinweobo, Timi Olamide Samuel, Chibueze Thaddeus Ugochukwu and Emmanuel Linus. The four are currently being remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional facility until their bail conditions are met.

Separate charges bordering on impersonation, Advance Fee Fraud and obtaining money under false pretence were levied against the convicts by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charge against Chinweobo reads: “That you, Daniel Ebubechi Chinweobo (a.k.a. Philip James) sometime in 2024, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained the sum of One Thousand Great Britain Pounds (£1,000 only), from Marinela Gabriela, a Caucasian American, when you represented yourself to be Philip James, a military man from California, serving in Syria, who pretended to be in a marital relationship with Marinela Gabriela, which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

That of Ugochukwu reads: “That you, Chibueze Thaddeus Ugochukwu, on or about the 14th day of May, 2025, at Alakhahia axis of Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained from one Grey the sum of Eight Hundred United States of America dollars ($800 only), under the false pretence that you are the Amanda Pappers, a citizen of the United States of America which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

They all pleaded ‘guilty’ to their charges, following which prosecution counsel A. Chukwuegwu and G. C Ngborokwu, tendered incriminating documents in evidence against them and urged the courts  to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The Defence counsels, G. N. Chukwu, Yemi Ogunleye, A. O. Secondus and Chigozie Umunnakwem on their part, prayed the courts to temper justice with mercy on the ground that the defendants were first time offenders.

Justice Ajoku, however, convicted and sentenced Chinweobo and Linus to 30 months imprisonment each at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, or to pay N200,000 respectively.

Their sentences are to run concurrently and began from the date of their arrest.

Justice Ajua convicted and sentenced Ugochukwu to one year jail term or to pay 50,000  fine, while Justice Mark convicted and sentenced Samuel to two years in prison or to pay N900,000  fine.

In addition to their jail terms, the convicts were asked to depose to affidavit of good behaviour and forfeited a Techno mobile phone, a Samsung Galaxy phone, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone X, iPhone 16 Pro, an iPad and Lexus ES 350, recovered from them at the scene of their arrest to the Federal Government.

The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began with their arrest by the EFCC  in April 2025, following credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities in Port Harcourt.

King Onunwor