A man, Emmanuel Okoro, convicted of Internet fraud on Monday begged a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwagwalada for leniency.
Okoro pleaded guilty to the charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
”I regret my actions. I want to beg the court for mercy, I am deeply sorry for what I did.
”I am a changed person now knowing full well the consequences of my offence,” he said.
Justice Aliyu Shafa, adjourned sentencing until July 11.
Earlier, the Defence Counsel, Mr Samuel Akuh, in support of the allocutus by the convict, told the court that Okoro who had no previous conviction record in Nigeria was very remorseful and repentant.
“Okoro has truly expressed his regrets before this court for having committed the said offence against the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We want to appeal passionately to this court that the convict has realised that there is no excuse for indulging in crime of any nature especially against Nigeria.
“No offence under any guise goes unpunished, he was deceived into cybercrime as a result of peer pressure which is not an excuse; knowing fully well that when the hammer falls it falls on anyone that runs foul to the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We appeal to the court to look on him with the eye of mercy and forgiveness, having shown remorse for his action.
“His stay in the custody of the complainant has taught him a great lesson, he has come to realise that no one goes against the country without being burnt”, he said.
Akuh appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict, adding that a non-custodial sentence should be granted to the convict.
The EFCC Counsel, S.N. Robert, told the court that Okoro within the jurisdiction of the Court attempted to cheat by impersonation.
Robert said that the convict represented himself on a Facebook profile page as Edward Sulisi, an American citizen a fact he knew was false.
He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 95 when read in conjunction with Section 313 of the Penal Code (Laws of the Federation, Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.
He said that in the course of investigation an iPhone 11 cell phone was found with the convict and that was the instrument used for attempting to cheat.
He also prayed the court that the iPhone being an instrument for the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government through the prosecuting agency or as the court deem fit.
