No fewer than five individuals have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms for internet fraud in Benin City, Edo State.
The convicts are Blessing Osakporlor Zabayo, Divine Eromosele Aisuegbehien, Daniel Destiny Adeniyi, Uche Destiny, and Saturday Michael Idongesit.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), they were convicted and sentenced by Justice M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
EFCC disclosed that they were prosecuted by its Benin Zonal Directorate on separate one-count charges bordering on advance fee fraud, obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent documents.
The charge against Aisuegbehien reads: “That you Divine Eromosele Aisuegbehien (m) on or about the 15th of August, 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did have in your possession, on your iPhone 12 Pro, with IMEI Number 356689111827978, documents which you knew or ought to have known contained a false pretence and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The anti-graft agency noted that all the defendants pleaded “guilty” to their charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, I.K Agwai, Ibrahim Faisal, M.S Dahiru, and Ibrahim Al-Amin, to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
However, the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they had shown remorse for their actions.
Justice Itsueli subsequently convicted and sentenced Aisuegbehien, Zabayo, and Adeniyi to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a ₦300,000 fine. The duo of Destiny and Idongesit also bagged two years’ imprisonment each or pay a ₦200,000 fine.
All the convicts forfeited their mobile phones and laptops — the tools of their crimes and money found in their respective bank accounts, being proceeds of crimes to the Federal Government. They also signed undertakings to be of good behaviour going forward.
The Commission reiterated that their journey to jail began with their arrest by operatives of its Benin Zonal Directorate following credible intelligence that exposed their involvement in internet-related fraud.
