Three Nigerians Sentenced to 15 Years Jail for Fraud
Three members of a Nigerian cyberfraud syndicate have each been sentenced to five years in an Indian prison after a court found them guilty of defrauding a female teacher through an online scam.
Three members of a Nigerian cyberfraud syndicate have each been sentenced to five years in an Indian prison after a court found them guilty of defrauding a female teacher through an online scam.
It was gathered on Monday that the convicts, including Nelson Chigaogejimu, Francis Emeka, and Udala Chukwudi, scammed the victim, an Indian school teacher, out of approximately Rs 6.3 lakh.
A report by the The Times of India, stated that Chief Judicial Magistrate, Richa Verma, handed down the sentence on Saturday.
In addition to the prison term, each convict was fined Rs 75,000, with an extra 15 days of imprisonment if the fine was not paid.
The case was filed by Ruchi Singh, a resident of Aashanagar and a teacher with the Basic Education department.
Prosecuting officer, Anil Kumar, confirmed the court’s verdict, as reported by The Times of India on Monday.
The report stated, “On May 30, 2020, she lodged an FIR, claiming she had received a message on May 12, 2020, from an international number claiming to be from London.
“Shortly after, the accused called her and claimed to have found her contact through a matrimonial site. They began chatting over WhatsApp, and he told her that he had sent a parcel."
The report further noted that a tracking link and number were provided, initially showing the parcel at a UK airport before appearing in Delhi, with a claim that it was being held due to unpaid customs fees.
“A woman later called Singh, posing as a customs officer, and convinced her to transfer Rs 6,31,548 into multiple bank accounts, claiming it was for customs clearance.
“When the parcel never arrived, Singh filed a complaint at the Kotwali police station, following the directive of the Superintendent of Police,” the report stated.
The Nigerian trio, Chigaogejimu Emeka and Udala Chukwudi, were identified as the perpetrators.
It was further learnt that the trio were subsequently charged in court by the police under sections related to “cheating, forgery, the Information Technology Act, and the Foreigners Act of 1960.”
The city’s Superintendent of Police, Neeraj Jadaun, said, “They were arrested in Delhi on October 17, 2020, and have remained in custody since then.”
The court ultimately found the trio guilty of forging documents and using them to defraud the victim under the pretext of an international parcel delivery.
This conviction follows a string of reports involving the arrest of Nigerian nationals, particularly in India.
PUNCH Metro had earlier reported last Friday that four other Nigerians, including two women, are also facing possible jail terms and deportation after being arrested in separate operations across the country for offences ranging from cyber fraud to drug trafficking.
The suspects, identified as Pepe Morepeyi, Gabriel Onyeka, Bamba Fanta, and Abigail Adonis, were apprehended by various law enforcement agencies in different parts of India.
What's Your Reaction?
