The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of 59 internet fraudsters to various jail terms before five state High Court judges and a Federal High Court judge.
The convicts are, Adekola Bidemi, Raheem Olalekan, Nduneri Precious, Adekola Iyanuoluwa, Adegoke Olalekan, Akintade Temitayo, Olaolu Olamide, Akanni Anuoluwapo, Omogbolahan Joseph, Adedimeji Ojo, Jamal Hamzat, Ajana Oluwapelumi, Jamiu Abayomi, Isaac Moses, Bamidele Williams, Olafisoye Opeyemi, Alex Precious, Olajide Emmanuel, Folayan Oluwajuwon, Kolade Olaseinde, Eniola Lazeez, Ayeni Charles, Owoyemi Abidemi and Hammed Yakubu.
Others are: Sunmonu Olabanji, MichaelSeyi, Adebayo Benedict, Afeez Abdulwahab, Azeez Akinremi, Ariku Olawande, Fapetu Temitope, Owoyemi Ayobami, Adekunle Micheal, Idowu Victor, Olaoluwa Kehinde, Olawale Boluwatife, Oreoluwa Oladipo, Ayomide Owoshakin, Aare Sodiq Olanrewaju, Waheed Olamilekan, Oluwatunbosun Fafore, Alamu Dolapo and Ridwan Onifade, among others.
They were prosecuted on one-count separate charges bordering on impersonation, cheating, possession of fraudulent documents and obtaining by false pretence.
The charge against Uzoma reads: “That you, Okoro Uzoma sometimes in February, 2023, within the jurisdiction of this court, fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be a female as Cory Spencer Smith from the United States of America to one Collette, by creating a fake Facebook account with intent to gain an advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) (Amended) Act, 2024.”
The charge preferred against Bidemi reads: “That you, Adekola Bidemi on or about April 2024, at Ede, Osun State within the jurisdiction of this court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself did impersonate one Mary Kate, the pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) (Amended) Act, 2024.”
They all pleaded “guilty” to their charges when they were read to them, upon which prosecution counsel: Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Modupe Akinkoye, Oyelakin Oyediran, Sanusi Galadanchi, Lanre Suleiman, Mabas Mabur, Shamsuddeen, Umar Abiso, Abiddeen Muhammad, Adamu Sahabi, Fatima Baba, David Olubode and Favour Adewunmi prayed the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice M. Salisu of the Osun State High Court, sitting in Osogbo convicted and sentenced Temitayo and Olamide to one year imprisonment each or to pay a fine of N1million each.
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Temitayo forfeited one grey Toyota Camry 2007 Model car while Olamide forfeited N1.450million and a grey colour Toyota Camry 2011 Model car.
Also, he convicted and sentenced Akinsola Iyanuoluwa, Tomiwa Olalekan and Toheeb Olalekan to one year imprisonment each or a fine of N500, 000, Williams and Mayowa Precious to one year jail term each or to pay a fine of N400, 000 each, while Joseph, Ojo, Bidemi, Abayomi and Moses bagged eight months jail term each or to pay a fine of N400,000, N500,000, N400,000, N500,000 and N700,000, repeectively. Moses forfeited one black- coloured unregistered Lexus GS 350 to the government.
Justice Salisu also convicted and sentenced Opeyemi to seven months imprisonment or to a fine of N400,000, while Kelvin Precious, Anuoluwapo, Hamzat and Uzoma bagged six months jail term each or to pay a fine of N300,000 each.
Oluwapelumi was sentenced to three months imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.
Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Osun State High Court, sitting in Osogbo convicted and sentenced Oluwajuwon, Olaseinde, Lazeez, Charles, Abidemi, Yakubu, Olabanji, Seyi, Benedict, Abdulwahab, Olawande, Daniel Temitope, Ayobami and Toluwanimi Micheal to six months imprisonment each.
Daniel Temitope forfeited a grey- coloured Toyota Camry car , Benedict; one blue -coloured Lexus ES 350 car and Lazeez; one grey- coloured Toyota Camry 2006 Model vehicle.
Also, he convicted and sentenced Deji Emmanuel, Akinremi and Innocent to three months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N100,000, N250,000 and N200,000, respectively.
Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan convicted and sentenced Onifade to one year imprisonment or to pay a fine of N100,000 and forfeited a grey- coloured Toyota Rav4 Sports Utility Vehicle while Owoshakin bagged six months jail term or a fine N100, 000.
Also, he convicted and sentenced Ayomide to six months community service or a fine of N100, 000 Fafore and Dolapo to six months community service each or to pay a fine of N40, 000 each and David to six months community service or to a fine of N50,000.
Justice Akintola also convicted and sentenced Boluwatife, Sodiq Olanrewaju, Bolarinwa, Olajide and Oluwaseun to three months community service each or to pay a fine of N30,000 each, and Olalekan Opeyemi to three months community service or a fine of N50,000, while Oladipo and Ebenezer bagged three months jail term each or N25,000 each.
