The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully prosecuted and sentenced Ikemesit Edet, also known as Hustle Kingdom (HK), the proprietor of an Uyo Cybercrime Training Centre.
According to a statement released on Saturday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Edet was convicted on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, after pleading guilty to two counts of impersonation, love scam, hacking/editing of social media accounts, and private criminal tutoring. He was arraigned by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Commission.
Count one reads: “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.”
The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentencing of the proprietor of an Uyo Cybercrime Training Centre, Ikemesit Edet, popularly known as Hustle Kingdom (HK).
A statement released on Saturday by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said Edet was jailed on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 after pleading guilty to two-count charge bordering on impersonation, love scam, hacking/editing of social media accounts and private criminal tutoring, upon his arraignment by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Commission.
Count one reads: “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 two reads: “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.”
Edet admitted guilt to both charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, to request the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. Abolarin also urged the court to order the forfeiture of all exhibits recovered from Edet at the time of his arrest.
However, the defense counsel, Francis Ezike, appealed to the court for leniency in sentencing the defendant.
After considering the arguments from both sides, Justice Ojukwu found Edet guilty and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with the option of a fine of N2 million on each count. Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of all recovered exhibits from Edet to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
These exhibits include 13 laptops, a gold-colored Toyota Corolla, a Lexus Jeep RX 300, and approximately 3,080.25 square meters of land situated at Ibiaku Obio Ndobo village, Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Edet’s legal troubles began on January 22, 2024, when EFCC investigators in Uyo, acting on intelligence, apprehended 10 suspects at his Cybercrimes Training Centre in D-Line Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo. All suspects have since been charged to court and convicted.
