One Ikemesit Edet, proprietor of an Uyo Cybercrime Training Centre, popularly known as Hustle Kingdom (HK), in Akwa Ibom State, has been sentenced to imprisonment for ten years.
His sentence followed his arraignment by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The anti-graft agency secured the conviction of Edet after he pleaded guilty to two-count charge bordering on impersonation, love scam, hacking/editing of social media accounts and private criminal tutoring.
The development is contained in statement released on Saturday by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
According to the statement, Edet was jailed on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 after pleading to the two-count charge.
“That you IKEMESIT EDET IK sometime in January, 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court, being the occupier and a person concerned with the management of the premises situates and lying at No. 57 D-Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, did knowingly permit the use of the entire aforesaid premises as a CYBERCRIME ACADEMY, also known as Hustle Kingdom (HK) where you recruited ten (10) young Nigerians between ages 16-25 and taught them cybercrime techniques for perpetrating cyber crimes to wit: hacking, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretence (Advance Fee Fraud) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 3 of the same Act,” count one read.
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“That you IKEMESIT EDET IK between May 2020 and December 2023 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did take possession total sum of Fifteen Million Naira Only (-N=15,000,000.00) which you knew forms proceed of an unlawful act to wit: Cybercrime and thereby committed 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,” count two read.
Edet pleaded guilty to both counts, prompting the prosecuting counsel, Joshua Abolarin, to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Abolarin also prayed the court to order the forfeiture of all exhibits recovered from him at the point of arrest.
Meanwhile, defence counsel Francis Ezike prayed the court to be lenient in sentencing the defendant.
After listening to the lawyers, Justice Ojukwu convicted Edet and sentenced him to five years jail term on each count, with an option of fine of N2 million on each count.
The court also ordered that all recovered exhibits from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The exhibits include: 13 laptops, a gold- coloured Toyota Corolla, a Lexus Jeep RX 300 and about 3,080.25 square metres of land located at Ibiaku Obio Ndobo village, Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
