A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin and a Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, have convicted and sentenced eight internet fraudsters to different jail terms.
Trial judge at the Federal High Court is Justice Evelyn Anyadike and that of the of the Kwara State High Court, is Jusrice Adebayo Yusuf.
The convicts were part of the 48 students of the Kwara State University, KWASU, and two residents of Malete arrested on February 21, 2024, during an operation by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for internet- related offences.
The convicts are: Afolabi Ajao, Mohammed Ayara, Oluyedun Bolaji, Oladele Olatayo, Aransiola Adebisi, Olaleye Philip, Bright Moses and Ogunrinde Ayomikun.
They were jailed after pleading guilty to one- count separate charges.
They pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them individually.
Following their “guilty” pleas, prosecution counsel, Adebayo Aliyu, Sesan Ola, Mustapha Kiagama and Isabel Adeniran, reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered the statements of the defendants and items recovered from them at the point of arrest and were admitted in evidence.
Thereafter, Justice Anyadike convicted and sentenced Oluyedun, Olaleye, Ogunrinde, Bright, Aransiola and Oladele to a fine of N200,000 each and ordered them to forfeit all the phones recovered from them to the government, including balances in their bank accounts.
Also, Justice Yusuf convicted and sentenced the duo of Muhammed and Afolabi to six months imprisonment each with an option of fine of N50,000.
The judge ordered that the phones, which they used to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.
