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Six internet fraudsters have been jailed in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The convicts include Akingbehin Temitope Oluwaseun, Ajayi Elijah Olaoluwa, Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi, Quadri Olamilekan Lamido, Kolawole Kehinde Moses and Olatunji Elijah Olabisi.
Justices Haleema Saleeman and Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, convicted and jailed the six persons for internet fraud.
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, prosecuted them on multiple charges that bordered on retention of proceeds of criminal activities, cheating, impersonation and internet fraud.
Oluwaseyi, a 25-year-old car dealer, Olaoluwa, Ilesanmi and Lamidi were charged before Justice Saleeman, while the duo of Moses and Olabisi were prosecuted before Justice Abdulgafar.
The charge sheet against Oluwaseyi reads, “That you, Akingbehin Temitope Oluwaseyi, sometime between 2021 and 2024 at Offa, within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, did retain the control of the gross sum of N2,707,562 in your Opay account number 09064776590 being the sum paid to you which you knew to be proceed of criminal conduct, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) and (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.”
The charge sheet of Ilesanmi read,
“That you, Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi (a.k.a Angela Sara Maya) sometimes in 2023 within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Angela Sara Maya vide Facebook messenger account and induced one Larry Guerrero to part with the sum of $250 US dollars, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.”
They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, after which prosecution counsel, Sesan Ola and Andrew Akoja reviewed the facts of the cases, presented witnesses and tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants.
They also tendered in evidence items recovered from them at the point of arrest and the monetary proceeds of their unlawful activities.
Satisfied that the cases against them have been proven beyond every reasonable doubt, Justice Saleeman sentenced Oluwaseyi to one year imprisonment on count one or to pay a fine of one million naira and also a one year imprisonment on count two or to pay a fine of N707,562.
In addition, he forfeited his two phones, being the tools of his crime and a Toyota Camry car, 2009 Model to the Federal government.
He committed Olaoluwa to one year imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000 in addition to the forfeiture of his iPhone 13 Promax, being the tool of his unlawful activities and the sum of $410 US dollars to the federal government.
The judge handed four months prison term to Ilesanmi or to pay a fine of N250,000, and also forfeited the sum of $150 US dollars and his two phones, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.
In his own case, Lamidi got four months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N150,000 on count one; three months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N100,000 on count two and two months prison term or to pay a fine of N50,000 on count
three.
The sentences are to run concurrently but he forfeited the sum of €325, $150 Canadian dollars and the two phones being instruments of his crime to the federal government.
Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Moses to three months suspended sentence on counts one and two, in addition, to forfeiture of the sum of N330,000, $80 US dollars and iPhone 12 Promax, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.
In the case of Olabisi, the judge ordered him to pay up $25 US dollars being the balance of the restitution to be paid from the proceeds of his criminal activity and in addition, forfeited the sum of $70 US dollars and his iPhone XR, being the instrument of his criminal activities to the federal government.
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