By Iyiola Olalere
Flowerbudnews:Β The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentencing of 25 internet fraudsters before seven different judges, sitting in Federal and State High Courts, respectively in Ibadan, Oyo State and Osogbo, Osun State.
EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale who disclosed this in a statement said that:
The convicts are:Β Tomiwa Olumide Ayodele, Adeniyi Kehinde Nuhu, Adeniyi Warris Adegbola, Toyeeb Abayomi Ijadunola, Isiah Akinyele kehinde, Oluwadunsin Johnson Alabi, Muis Lawal Gbolahan, Adeyinka Kola Adeleye, Sodiq Iyanu Babatunde, Ojo Blessing Adeniyi, Akinrinwoye Victor Olamide, Olaloye Olanrewaju Kinsley, Daniel Olashile Maiye and Omolade Opeyemi Oluwaseyi.
Others include: Olamide Adekunle Adeoye, Kazeem Makinde Olawale, Malik Olamilekan Ayoade, Emmanuel Ayomide Ojubanire, Dada Bamidele John, Henry Ogochukwu Ikeh, Faruq Omoleye Adeola, Oluyole Ayobami Emmanuel, Ayodele Micheal Damilola, Adaramoye Abayomi, and Yussuf Quadri Abiodun.
They were prosecuted on one-count separate charges, excepting Nuhu who faced two-count charges. The charges bordered on impersonation, cheating,Β possession of fraudulent documentsΒ and obtaining by false pretence.
The charge against Abiodun reads: βThat you, Yussuf Quadri Abiodun βMβ, sometimes in May, 2024 at Ede, Osun State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself impersonatedΒ one Josh Rita, a female from United States of America through Facebook Account to one Jesus Valdez, wherein you obtained the sum of $1420 USD (One Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty United States of America Dollars) 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)(iv) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.β
That of Abayomi reads: βThat you, Adaramoye Abayomi βMβ on or about 20thΒ May, 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself,Β falsely impersonatedΒ one Greg Fernando, a male from the United States of America through Tiktok Account with username @greg4082 and chatted with one Ann Wesley and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.β
They all pleaded βguiltyβ to their chargesΒ 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.
JusticeΒ M. Salisu of the Osun State High Court, sittingΒ in Osogbo convicted and sentenced Ayodele, Nuhu, Adegbola and Ijadunola to one year imprisonment each orΒ to payΒ a fine of N1million (One Million Naira) each.Β Nuhu forfeited a Toyota Camry car, 2005 Model with Registration number: APP β 572 β GRΒ to the federal governmentΒ and also to restitute the sum of N415, 000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Naira)Β to his victim. Ijadunola forfeited a grey-colouredΒ Toyota Camry carΒ to the federal governmentΒ and to restitute the sum of N2, 500, 000.00 (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira)Β to his victim.
HeΒ alsoΒ convicted and sentenced Kehinde to one year jail term orΒ to payΒ a fine of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and slammed Alabi with six monthsΒ imprisonment orΒ to payΒ a fine of N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) Abayomi got six months imprisonment orΒ to payΒ a fine of N250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), while AbiodunΒ baggedΒ eight months imprisonment orΒ to payΒ a fine of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira). HeΒ forfeited his grey-colouredΒ TVS motorcycle.
JusticeΒ Ladiran AkintolaΒ of the Oyo State High Court, sittingΒ in Ibadan convicted and sentenced Gbolahan, Adeleye and Babatunde to three monthsΒ ofΒ community service each orΒ to pay a fine ofΒ N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira) fine each.
JusticeΒ Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Osun State High Court, sittingΒ in Osogbo convicted and sentenced Adeniyi,Β Olamide and Kinsley to six months jail termΒ each.Β AdeniyiΒ was givenΒ N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira)Β option of fine,Β whileΒ Olamide and KinsleyΒ were givenΒ N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira)Β option of fine, respectively. Oluwaseyi bagged one year jail term without an option of fineΒ from the judgeΒ and Maiye two weeks imprisonment.
JusticeΒ Ayo-Emmanuel also convicted andΒ sentencedΒ AdeoyeΒ and gave himΒ N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) option of fine.Β He jailedΒ Olawale,Β JohnΒ andΒ AyoadeΒ forΒ three monthsΒ eachΒ orΒ to payΒ a fineΒ ofΒ N250, 000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira),Β N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira)Β andΒ N300,000.00,Β (Three Hundred Thousand Naira),Β respectively.Β Ojubanire got two months imprisonmentΒ from the judgeΒ orΒ to payΒ a fine of N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
JusticeΒ M. Ishola of the Oyo State High Court, sittingΒ in Ibadan convicted and sentenced Ikeh to six months community service, while Justice Bayo Taiwo convicted and sentenced Adeola to five monthsΒ ofΒ community service in addition to paying a fine of N100, 000. 00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira).
JusticeΒ E.U. Akpan of the Federal High Court,Β sitting inΒ Ibadan, Oyo State convicted and sentenced Emmanuel and Damilola to one year imprisonment orΒ to payΒ a fine of N150, 000. 00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) each.
The convicts forfeitedΒ all items recovered from them to the federal government.
Their road to prison began with their arrest in sting operations, carried out in Signatures Elixir and Alba Royale Clubhouses in Akure, Ondo State and Ede, Osun State by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC following credible intelligence on their fraudulent internet activities in both states. (Flowerbudnews)
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