The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dragged five suspects before the Federal High Court sitting in Gombe, Gombe State, over alleged involvement in internet fraud.
The defendants, identified as Abulrazak Yusuf, Maxwell Gyang, Amos Samson, Abdulgawiy Jamilu and Abel Dung Davou, were arraigned on separate one-count charges bordering on impersonation and intent to defraud.
According to the EFCC, one of the suspects, Maxwell Gyang, allegedly created fake social media profiles to impersonate foreign nationals and defraud unsuspecting victims.
His charge reads: “That you, Maxwell Gyang, sometimes in 2025 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with intent to defraud, did impersonate by creating a fake Facebook profile of Anna Katarzyn and Telegram X fake profile of Francesca Macro, using your Tecno Spark 20C mobile phone to defraud foreign nationals of Romania and Poland, to wit: Florina Flori, Robert Horis, Floriff Floc, by gaining financial advantage to yourself in the total sum of $250 USD (Two hundred and fifty United States Dollars) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2025 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (iv) of the same Act.”
During their arraignment before Justice Amina A. Muhammad, four of the defendants, namely Yusuf, Gyang, Samson, and Jamilu, pleaded guilty to the charges. However, the fifth defendant, Davou, pleaded not guilty.
Following the guilty pleas, prosecution counsel M.D. Aliyu urged the court to convict and sentence the four, while requesting a trial date for Davou.
Davou’s counsel applied for his bail, but the judge, Justice Amina Muhammad, adjourned the matter to June 26, 2025, for the hearing of his bail application. She also adjourned the case to July 2, 2025, for the conviction and sentencing of the four defendants who pleaded guilty.
In the meantime, the court ordered that Yusuf, Gyang, Samson, and Jamilu be remanded in EFCC custody, while Davou is to be held at the Gombe Correctional Centre pending the next hearing dates.
