Court Convicted and Sentenced Fake US Military Officer, One Other to Two Years Imprisonment
The Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, has convicted a fake United States military officer, Zulayman Haruna, for Internet fraud.
A press statement by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, said Haruna was convicted on Wednesday, on a one-count charge of falsely presenting himself as Mariee Guerrero, a white female military personnel, to many unsuspecting victims on Facebook in order to cheat them.
The statement reads: “Justice A. A Bello of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, on Wednesday, November 30, 2023, convicted and sentenced a fake United States military officer, Zulayman Haruna, to two years imprisonment.
“He was jailed after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of internet fraud upon being arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“The one-count charge reads: That you Zulayman Haruna (a.k.a Mariee Guerrero) between January and October 2023 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, attempted to commit an offence and in such an attempt did a certain act towards the commission of the said offence, to wit: falsely presented yourself as Mariee Guerrero, a white female military personnel, to one Greg and other several unsuspecting victims on Facebook (a social media application) in order to cheat them and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
“He pleaded guilty to the charge upon which prosecution counsel, E. K Garba, urged the court to convict him accordingly.
“Justice Bello convicted and sentenced Haruna to two years imprisonment or an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only). He also forfeited an iPhone X, which was the tool of the crime, to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
“Similarly, Justice A. A Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, has sentenced Didam Jesse to two years imprisonment.
“He was jailed after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of cheating by impersonation upon being arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“The charge reads: That you, Didam Jesse (a.k.a Endurance Prince David), sometime in February 2023, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit: cheating by impersonation wherein you falsely presented yourself as one Endurance Princes David on Facebook (an online social media platform) and in such assumed identity, cheated one Naziru HB the total sum of N7000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
“He pleaded guilty to the charge, following which prosecution counsel, M. Lawal, urged the court to convict him accordingly.
“Justice Isiaka convicted and sentenced him to two years imprisonment or an option of fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira).
“He also forfeited the tool of the crime, a Techno Spark 8P and the N7,000 (Seven Thousand Naira) proceeds of the crime to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
“The two convicts began their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested around Kaduna metropolis for internet-related offences. They were found to be impersonators upon being prosecuted by the EFCC. The court found them guilty and convicted them accordingly.”
