Courts jail 59 internet fraudsters in Ogun

Eric Patrick

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Directorate has secured the conviction and sentence of fifty-nine internet fraudsters to various jail terms before five State High Court Judges and a Federal High Court Judge.

The convicts are, Adekola Mohammed Bidemi, Raheem Toheeb Olalekan, Nduneri Kelvin Precious, Adekola Akinsola Iyanuoluwa, Adegoke Tomiwa Olalekan, Akintade Isaac Temitayo, Olaolu Abdulsomad Olamide, Akanni Oluwapelumi Anuoluwapo, Omogbolahan Arikuyeri Joseph, Adedimeji Olaitan Ojo, Jamal Olawale Hamzat, Ajana Abidemi Oluwapelumi, Jamiu Quadri Abayomi, Isaac Adejare Moses, Bamidele Williams, Olafisoye Oluwatobi Opeyemi, Alex Mayowa Precious, Olajide Deji Emmanuel, Folayan Temitayo Oluwajuwon, Kolade Paul Olaseinde, Eniola Lazeez, Ayeni Bisola Charles, Owoyemi James Abidemi and Hammed Akolawole Yakubu.

This was contained in a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and shared on its Facebook page on Thursday.

According to the statement, 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.

Others are Sunmonu Sheriff Olabanji, Michael Blessing Seyi, Adebayo Babatunde Benedict, Afeez Oluwaseun Abdulwahab, Azeez Folorunso Akinremi, Ariku Victor Olawande, Fapetu Daniel Temitope, Owoyemi Kayode Ayobami, Adekunle Toluwanimi Micheal, Idowu Mayowa Victor, Olaoluwa Posi Ejisun Kehinde, Olawale Ibrahim Boluwatife, Oreoluwa Oyeyemi Oladipo, Ayomide Sunday Owoshakin, Aare Sodiq Olanrewaju, Waheed Abeeb Olamilekan, Oluwatunbosun Stephen Fafore, Alamu David Dolapo and Ridwan Olabisi Onifade.

The rest include Osifeso Tijesunimi David, Ogunrinde Taiwo Oluwaseun, Ogunrinde Idowu Ebenezer, Ayoola Olayinka Gaffar, Sodiq Alamu Olumide, Adegoke Idowu Oluwaseun, Adebayo Daniel Sunday, Olabode Samson Opeyemi, Alade Kehinde Matthew, Folaranmi Olukorede Martins, Akinola Bolarinwa, Abimbola Ayodele Olajide, Adekunle Iyanuoluwa Ayomide, Akinyemi Olalekan Opeyemi, Job Innocent and Okoro Justine Uzoma.

They were prosecuted on one-count separate charges bordering on impersonation, cheating, possession of fraudulent documents, and obtaining by false pretense.

The charge against Uzoma read, “That you, Okoro Justine Uzoma sometime in February 2023, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable 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 the 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 read, “That you, Adekola Mohammed Bidemi on or about April 2024, at Ede, Osun State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable 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.”  

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 N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) each. Temitayo forfeited one grey Toyota Camry 2007 Model car while Olamide forfeited N1, 450, 000.00 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 N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) each, Williams and Mayowa Precious to one-year jail term each or to pay a fine of N400, 000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) each, while Joseph, Ojo, Bidemi, Abayomi and Moses bagged eight months jail term each or to pay a fine of N400, 000.00, N500, 000.00, N400, 000,  N500, 000.00, and N700, 000.00 respectively. Moses forfeited one black- coloured unregistered Lexus GS 350 to the government.

Justice Salisu also convicted and sentenced Opeyemi to seven months imprisonment or a fine of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) while Kelvin Precious, Anuoluwapo, Hamzat, and Uzoma bagged six months jail term each or to pay a fine of N300, 000.00 each.

 Oluwapelumi was sentenced to three months imprisonment or a fine of N300,000.00.

 

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.

They were however, given options of N200, 000.00 N250, 000.00, N500, 000.00, N300, 000.00, N500, 000.00, N300, 000.00, N200, 000.00, N250, 000.00, N500, 000.00, N250, 000.00, N500, 000.00, N500, 000.00, N300, 000.00, and N300, 000.00.

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. 00, N250, 000.00, and N200, 000.00.

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, 000.00, and forfeited a grey-coloured Toyota Rav4 Sports Utility Vehicle while Owoshakin bagged six months jail term or a fine N100, 000.00.

Also, he convicted and sentenced Ayomide to six months community service or a fine of NN100,000.00 Fafore and Dolapo to six months community service each or to pay a fine of N40,000.00 each and David to six months community service or to a fine of N50, 000.00.                  

Justice Akintola also convicted and sentenced Boluwatife, Sodiq Olanrewaju, Bolarinwa, Olajide, and Oluwaseun to three months of community service each or to pay a fine of N30, 000.00 each, and Olalekan Opeyemi to three months community service or a fine of N50, 000.00, while Oladipo and Ebenezer bagged three months jail term each or N25, 000.00 each.

Also, he convicted Abeeb Olamilekan and Martins and sentenced them to pay a fine of N20,000.00.

Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan convicted and sentenced Idowu Oluwaseun to five months of community service, Olumide, Sunday, and Kehinde Matthew to four months of community service each without an option of fine. Also, Samson Opeyemi bagged two months of community service.

Justice U.E. Akpan of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State convicted and sentenced Mayowa Victor to one year imprisonment or a fine of N500,000.00, and Ejisun Kehinde to six months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N300, 000.00.

Justice A.A. Okeke of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta convicted and sentenced Gaffar to one month imprisonment without an option of fine.

The convicts forfeited all items recovered from them to the Federal Government.

All the convicts began their way to the Correctional Centres when they were arrested for internet-related offences. They were charged to court and convicted.