Ikemesit Edet, the owner of the Uyo Cybercrime Training Centre, popularly known as Hustle Kingdom, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for fraudulent activities.
The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Edet on Wednesday for various offenses, including impersonation, love scam, hacking/editing social media accounts, and private criminal tutoring.
According to the EFCC statement, Edet pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Wednesday with an option of a N2,000,000 fine for each count, as reported by The Punch.
The charges against Edet included permitting the use of his premises as a cybercrime academy, recruiting and teaching young Nigerians cybercrime techniques, and possession of proceeds of unlawful acts.
“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 situated 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.
“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 (N15,000,000.00) 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,” some of the charges brought against Edet reads
Prosecution counsel Joshua Abolarin urged the court to convict and sentence Edet accordingly, also requesting the forfeiture of all recovered exhibits.
In his defense, Francis Ezike pleaded for leniency in sentencing Edet.
In the judgement, Justice Ojukwu convicted Edet and sentenced him to five years in jail on each count, with an option of a N2,000,000 fine on each count.
Justice Ojukwu also declared that all recovered exhibits, including laptops and vehicles, are to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
