Seventeen internet fraudsters have bagged various jail terms in Oyo and Ogun states, following their prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
They were convicted and sentenced between January 8 and 28, 2024, after being arraigned before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan and Justice A.. Babawale of the Ogun State High Court, sitting in Abeokuta on a separate one count charge each.
The convicts include Akinbode Abiodun, Samad Owolabi, Ademola Quadri, Evewiekpoamare Jackson, Adeagbo Adegbenro, Adesanya Dare, Yusuf Olaoluwatobi, Akinbode Joshua, Musa Olorunnisola and Lawal Segun.
Others are Moses Bugama, Odude Ayomipo, Bashiru Adeyinka, Ochoche Ochola, Nurudeen Quam, Afeez Jimoh and Olowookere Sobbur.
The charge against one of the convicts, read: “That you Adesanya Dare ‘M’ on or about May 24, 2023, at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this court, fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be a white man by the name Daryl Huffman from United States of America to one Angie Shepard, through your Facebook account with email address: daryhuffman1960@gmail.com, and other pretences, which pretences you knew to be false, thereby committed offence of personation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
They all pleaded guilty to the charge when read to them.
Afterwards, facts of the cases were reviewed by the prosecution counsel as documents and other incriminating materials were tendered in evidences before the courts.
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Prosecution counsel prayed the courts to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
Justice Babawale convicted and sentenced Sobbur to one year imprisonment without an option of fine.
Also, Justice Adetujoye convicted and sentenced Olorunnisola to two months imprisonment; Jimoh, Quam, Ochola, Adeyinka, Ayomipo, Bugama, Segun and Olaoluwatobi to one month jail term each.
Joshua, Dare, Adegbenro and Abiodun were convicted and sentenced to two weeks imprisonment each without an option of fine while Owolabi, Quadri and Jackson bagged two weeks community service each.
The courts also ordered that the convicts restitute their various victims, including Owolabi who is to pay the sum of N11.749million as restitution.
Items forfeited by the convicts to the Federal Government include one gold colour Lexus ES 330 with Registration number: FKG 184 HZ, one unregistered silver colour Toyota Corolla 2006 model, one black colour Honda Pilot 2004 model with registration number: LSR 783 HW and Chassis number: 2HKYF18464H598117 and one black Lexus ES 300 2002 model with registration number: APP 27 GT with chassis number: JTHBF30G020048119 among others.
The convicts were arrested by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related activities.
They were later prosecuted in court and convicted.
