By Miriam Humbe
Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, June 16, 2025 convicted and sentenced one Glory Okwor Ebube and Harrison Uzorchukwu Emmanuel to jail for fraud.
They were prosecuted by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on separate charges, bordering on impersonation, advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretence.
The charge against Ebube reads: “That you, Okwor Glory Ebube sometime in February, 2024,
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $2000 (Two Thousand United States Dollars) from your victims, through your Telegram account with the identity of Kim Kardashian as a popular influencer and celebrity from the United States of America which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.”
That of Emmanuel reads: “That you Harrison Emmanuel Uzorchukwu, sometime in March, 2025 at Port Harcourt Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of One Thousand ($1000) United States Dollars from one Deborah Teaque under the pretence that the sum was for investment in bitcoin which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
They all pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to them, following which prosecution counsel, N. A. Dodo and M. Abubakar tendered incriminating documents in evidence against them and asked the court to convict and sentence them in line with their pleas, while defence counsel, G. M. Chukwu and Dozie Munakwe prayed the court to temper justice with mercy stating that their clients were first time offenders.
Justice Ajoku convicted and sentenced them to 30 months each, in the Port Harcourt Correctional Center or to pay N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine, respectively into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the federal government.
In addition, a Toyota Corolla Camry car, an iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 16 recovered from the convicts at the scene of arrest were forfeited to the federal government. They also deposed to an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.
The convicts’ journey to jail began with their arrest in Port Harcourt in April 2025 following credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities.
