The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentencing of five internet fraudsters before Justices Adenike Akinpelu and Mahmoud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin.
The convicts are Oyedepo Olamilekan
Benjamin, Suleiman Saheed Olayinka, Fakeye Tolulope Emmanuel , Great
Ukueni and Adeshina Joseph Oluwaseun.
The defendants who were prosecuted
on different separate count charges
before the judges pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Upon their guilty pleas, prosecuting
counsels : Andrew Akoja, Mustapha Kaigama and Isabel Adeniran narrated the
circumstances that led to the arrest of the defendants. They urged the court to
consider the plea of the defendants, the extra judicial statements and all the
exhibits tendered to convict the defendants as charged.
Justice Akinpelu in her judgment
sentenced Benjamin to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of
N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and ordered the forfeiture
of one Apple Iphone X; Hp laptop and the sum of $457 (Four Hundred and Fifty
Seven United States Dollars) benefited from the unlawful activities to the
Federal Government.
The Judge also sentenced Olayinka to
six months imprisonment with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira)
only and ordered that one Samsung A03 phone recovered from the convict be
forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Akinpelu equally sentenced
Emmanuel to six months imprisonment an
with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) only and ordered
that the sum of $400 (Four Hundred United States Dollars), one phone and hp
laptop belonging to the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government.
On the other hand, Justice Abdulgafar
sentenced Ukueni to six months imprisonment which is to be suspended and
ordered the forfeiture of one Dell Laptop used as instrument of crime by the
convict.
The court also sentenced Oluwaseun to
six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred
Thousand Naira) only and ordered the forfeiture of one iphone 13 promax and sum
of $250 (Two Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) recovered from the
convict.
All the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet-related offences. investigations were conducted on their respective cases, prompting their prosectution and conviction.
