A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has sentenced a man identified as Ogbonda Derrick Subumichi to two years imprisonment for impersonating his victim known as Walter Shepherd.
Subumichi was arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on July 17, 2021, before Justice P. M. Ayuba on a one-count amended charge bordering on impersonation.
A statement issued by the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren yesterday, disclosed that the convict committed the crime in June, 2021 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, thereby contravening Section 22 (2) (b) i of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) iv of the same Act.
Uwujaren noted that the accused pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him, prompting the prosecution counsel, N. A Dodo to request the court to immediately convict and sentence the defendant as charged, while the counsel for the defendant, Ikechukwu Ogbonda prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that his client was a first time offender.
The presiding judge, Justice P. M. Ayuba however sentenced the convicted and sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment with an option of fine to the tune of N300, 000 payable into the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government.
The charge reads, “That you Ogbonda Derric Subumichi (a.k.a Walter Shepherd) on or about June, 2021 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently impersonates one WALTER SHEPHERD with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) i of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) iv of the same Act.”
