Season-2: UNN, UNIBEN, UNIZIK cart away prizes @Etisalat-DigitalSENSE students’ essay contest on IG4D

ITRealms:

The organisers of Etisalat-DigitalSENSE students essay contest on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), the DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media Group, has named Odonoekuma Onyebuchi Ekuma as the star prize winner for the 2016 edition, which is on Season 2, reports ITRealms.

The Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media Group, Nkemdilim Nweke, disclosed this in Lagos, and said that the 2016 theme was on ‘Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians’ which saw Odonoekuma Onyebuchi Ekuma, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State, emerging top.

Also, she revealed that Henry Monday Oguns, a five-hundred level Petrochemical Engineering student of the University of Benin, Edo State, and Egwe Tochukwu Christopher, a fourth year Law student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka-Anambra State, taking the second and third positions, respectively.

Mrs. Nweke equally said that the finalists will in the coming week receive their prizes which include a Laptop, Tablet and smart phone with data for the trio.

She stressed that the essay competition is aimed at encouraging creativity and discourse on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) by Nigerian youths, especially the students.

Mrs. Nweke explained that participating students were mostly between the ages of 18 and 30, pointing out that the competition sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria is organised by DigitalSENSE Africa Media, the publishers of international award winning DigitalSENSE Business News, ITRealms and NaijaAgroNet; is part of the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on IG4D and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable.

Reacting, the star prize winner, Odonoekuma Onyebuchi Ekuma, on getting the news declared “I am very excited. Winning the contest has made this year very awesome for me.”

Odonoekuma also advised Nigerian youth, saying that the Internet holds the key to virtually every progress in life, stressing that the Internet provides the connectivity that yields efficiencies to employment creation, healthcare delivery, economic development and indeed all sectors of life.

An elated first runner up, Henry Monday Ogun beckoned on youths in Nigeria to embrace opportunity as this being offered by Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Africa to diversify their limitless positivity through properly harnessing same, declaring, “The way forward is active participation.”

And for the second runner up, Egwe Tochukwu Christopher, the internet is a blessing to this generation, hence more than ever “we are connected to persons and opportunities to further our dreams and ambitions in life, and to create positive impact in the society.”

Nigerian Youths, Egwe said, should seize this rare opportunity to connect with those positive opportunities, persons, and communities to name a few, which will help in projecting their life’s aspirations.

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Pix: Star prize winner 2016 Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Students Essay, Odonoekuma Onyebuchi Ekuma.

EFCC arraigns UNIBEN undergraduate over Internet scam

ITRealms:

A final year student of Computer and Statistics at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) Kenneth Rukewe Ebule, has been arraigned before an Edo State High Court in Benin-city over Internet scam by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), reports ITRealms.

Head, Media and Publicity at EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren confirmed this in a press statement sighted by ITRealms, saying that Ebule was arraigned Thursday, October 30, 2014 before Justice E. F Ikponmwen of an Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin-City on a 6-count charge bordering on Internet-related scam including forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents.

ITRealms also gathered that the accused person allegedly duped Sabine Albert, a German, of the sum of $12,088.75 (Twelve Thousand Eighty Eight Dollars and Seventy Five Cents) through fraudulent claims. 

Rukewe, 30, was arrested by officials of a new generation bank on May 28, 2014 in Benin City and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation. Troubles started for him when Albert alleged that within two months after he had internet contact with him, Rukewe fraudulently obtained the sum of $12,088,75 (Twelve Thousand Eighty Eight Dollars and Seventy Five Cents) from him.

Rukewe allegedly posed to Albert as an English businessman on transit in Nigeria. He gave his name as Bob Albert and told his victim that he had a contract with a Nigerian company worth €1.200, 000.00 and that he needed a loan to facilitate a transaction with the company. He promised to pay back the loan and even doubled it because he was sure of pulling through the transactions. He also told Albert that he had complications and suffered a robbery attack.

Rukewe also falsely told Albert that, a levy of  of N1,975,861 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty One Naira only) was imposed on him by the Federal Inland Revenue Service for the release of his International Passport, and a cheque  worth 1, 200,000 Euros. He also pleaded for a flight ticket to London.

Based on all these, Albert offered to loan him the money by sending it through Western Union, only to discover that he had been scammed.

Investigation also revealed that the suspect had defrauded other German nationals to the tune of $110,975.00USD (One Hundred and Ten thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five United States Dollars) between May 2013 and January 2014.

When the charges were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.

One of the charges read in part:
“Ebule Kenneth Rukewe (a.k.a. Bob Albert), on or about the 17th day of July, 2013 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with Intent to defraud, obtained the sum of  $12,088,75 (Twelve Thousand Eighty Eight Dollars and Seventy Five Cents) from Sabine Albert (a German National), under the false pretence that the money represented part payment of N1,975,861 (One Million Nine Hundred and Seventy Kobo) levy imposed one Bobby Albert (a British citizen) by Federal Inland Revenue Service for the release of the International Passport, Cheque worth 1,200,000 Euros and flight ticket to London of the said Bobby Albert, which representation you knew to be false”.

In view of the plea of the defendant, prosecution counsel, Kayode Oni asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody. The defence counsel, Maureen Morka informed the court of her application for bail dated September 9, 2014 and prayed the court to grant the defendant bail.

Justice Ikponmwen granted the defendant bail in the sum of One Million Naira and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be resident in Benin City and must be gainfully employed in Edo State. The defendant must also produce his student identity card.

Justice Ikponmwen subsequently adjourned the case to November 21, 2014 for hearing and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of his bail.


+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Efcc Ibrahim Lamorde +EFCC MEDIA +Naija AgroNet @DigitalSENSEng @InternetScam #Nigeria

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Pix: Suspected Kenneth Ebule as supplied by EFCC