A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced one Ekene Alobo to two years imprisonment for stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that prosecuted the suspect said the act wàs contrary to section 33 (2) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 33 (2) (c) of the same Act.
Alobo, 28, was convicted after pleading ‘guilty’ to one-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining under false pretences.
The charge read:”That you Ekene Alobo and Desmond Ogadinma Ekeh (now at large) on or about 18th day of December 2020, around Kaduna Street D/line, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud used an unauthorized access device and obtained the sum of N214,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fourteen Thousand Naira only) from one Mr. Hamilton Tugborowei and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 33 (2) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 33 (2) (c) of the same Act
However, following the plea of ‘guilty’, prosecution counsel, M. T. Iko reviewed the facts of the case. And urged the court to convict and sentence Alobo accordingly.
But, Counsel for the defendant, D. L. Davies, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy “because he a first-time offender and have no previous criminal records”.
Meanwhile, Justice E. A. Obile, convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00).
The spokesman of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement in Port Harcourt yesterday, said Alobo’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner alleged that, he was robbed on December 18, 2020, around Kaduna Street D/Line, Port Harcourt, River State and lost his phone; a laptop, wallet containing his ATM cards, and some other documents in the process.
Investigations were conducted and Alobo was discovered to have withdrawn the sum of Two Hundred and Fourteen Thousand Naira (N214,000.00) illegally from the petitioner’s account.
