A 21-year-old Internet Fraudster Testifies In Court Says He Buried His Dad With Yahoo Money

Ifeanyi Egbuwu, a suspected online fraudster aged 21, said in court that he used the money from his scams, also known as Yahoo Yahoo, to bury his father.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission agents detained Egbuwu on August 2, 2022, while conducting a raid on several Internet scammers at 42, Ola Williams Street, Kay Farm Estate, Iju, Lagos State. The suspect, who claimed to have recently graduated from Oregun Senior High School, was taken into custody without anything being found on him. But the bogus documents were found in his email account, omohhenry79@gmail, which he gave the EFCC access to.

He was then brought before Lagos’ Special Offenses Court’s Justice R.A. Oshodi.

The 21-year-old admitted to the anti-graft commission during his trial that he earned N500,000 from his fraudulent activities. He also said that he used some of the money to buy an iPhone X and some of it to pay for his father’s funeral.

The judge declared that she would find the defendant guilty of possessing forged documents on one count.

“When asked under oath, the defendant admitted that he benefited N500,000 from his crime. He said that he used N230,000 out of the N500,000 to buy an iPhone X. He also said that he used the proceeds of his crime to buy clothes and for his father’s burial. In criminal law, a defendant’s guilty plea is tantamount to an admission of guilt.

Mr. Ifeanyi Favour Egbuwu, I’ve listened to your compassionate plea for mercy. I’m shocked that at the age of 21, you will venture into fraudulent activities. You confessed that you spent over seven days in the commission’s custody. I’m sure that you must have learned a lesson and do understand the impact of being in custody. It deprives you of your liberties.

I see that you have expressed remorse and I’m persuaded by the submission of your counsel only to the extent that you are a first-time offender. But I will not allow you to keep any kobo from your criminal proceeds. It is for this reason that I sentence you to imprisonment for one year with an option of a fine in the sum of N300,000 to be paid at the registry of the High Court of Lagos State with 100 hours of community service at the Maximum Custodial Centre, Kirikiri.”

The judge also stated that because he had previously engaged in fraud, he would be required to perform hair barbering as part of his community service.