A Nigerian court in Kaduna has sentenced two individuals, Audu Ishida and Elisha Smith, to a total of six years in prison for internet fraud. Justice Hauwa’u Bubari of the Federal High Court delivered the ruling after both men were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of impersonation, money laundering, and the retention of proceeds from fraud.
According to a post on the EFCC’s X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, both Ishida and Smith pleaded guilty to the charges. Prosecution counsel M.E. Eimonye then urged the court to issue an appropriate sentence.
Justice Bubari sentenced Smith to four years in prison or an option of a N500,000 fine, while Ishida received two years in prison or a N400,000 fine. Additionally, both men forfeited their mobile phones— a Samsung Galaxy S10e and an Oppo F1s— as part of the judgment.
The EFCC reported that the convicts were arrested in Jos, Plateau State, following intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.