The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has convicted seven internet fraudsters, prosecuted on various charges of money laundering, impersonation, and cyber-related offenses.
The convictions were secured before Justices R.M. Aikawa and Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court in Kaduna, and Justice A. Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court.
The seven convicts—identified as Agbecha Fanem Samson (alias Michelle Pfeiffer), Shamsudeen Abdulkarim Alubankudi (alias Keren Adler), Paul Wadai (alias Odd Murphy), Onomza Gwamna (alias Dave Owen), Godswill Effiong, Esogban Godtemple (alias Lahm Moses), and Odeyale Victor (alias Candice Weiss)—were implicated in individual cases involving cyber fraud and related financial crimes.
According to the EFCC, each convict was prosecuted separately, underscoring the agency’s commitment to tackling financial crime on multiple fronts.
In a statement shared on the EFCC’s official X handle, the agency highlighted one case involving Agbecha Fanem Samson.
The EFCC stated, “That you, Agbecha Fanem Samson (aka Michelle Pfeiffer), sometime between March and August 2024, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, retained a total sum of N20,554,781.84 (Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty-One Naira and Eighty-Four Kobo) from one Johnson Aka Wolfman (a United States citizen), knowing that the funds were part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby committing money laundering, an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
The EFCC statement further elaborated on the case of Shamsudeen Abdulkarim Alubankudi, who assumed the alias “Keren Adler” and posed as an FBI agent on Facebook.
The statement noted, “That you, Shamsudeen Abdulkarim Alubankudi (aka Keren Adler), sometime in 2024, at Zaria, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, falsely represented yourself as Keren Adler, an FBI undercover agent, duly Certified Ethical White-Hat Hacker, and a scam recovery agent on ‘Facebook’ (an online social media platform), and in such assumed character, defrauded one Charlene Landrum, who lives in Albany, Oregon, United States, of the sum of $301.00 USD (Three Hundred and One United States Dollars), thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017, and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel M.E. Eimonye and M.J. Argungu requested that the court administer suitable penalties.
Subsequently, Justice Aikawa and Justice Buhari imposed sentences that varied by individual. Odeyale Victor and Onomza Gwamna received two-year sentences, with an option to pay a fine of N600,000 each.
Godswill Effiong and Shamsudeen Alubankudi were sentenced to three years in prison, with respective fine options of N700,000 and N500,000.
Agbecha Samson and Esogban Godtemple received five-year sentences, each with fine options of N500,000 and N600,000.
Finally, Paul Wadai, considered one of the primary perpetrators, was sentenced to seven years, with an alternative fine of N700,000.
Beyond the prison terms, the convicts forfeited several assets connected to their criminal activities.
The EFCC said, “They forfeited their phones and a computer, being tools of their crimes, to the Federal Government. A Lexus car and the proceeds of the crime traced to their bank accounts, were also forfeited.”
The EFCC added that the convicts were apprehended in Minna, Niger State, following reliable intelligence on their involvement in cybercrime.
This enforcement action by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate is one of many in the agency’s continued efforts to curb financial crimes across Nigeria.
