10 plead guilty to internet fraud in Kwara, jailed

Some of the suspects

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Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun

By Ayorinde Oluokun/ Abuja

Ten suspects arrested for internet fraud in Ilorin, Kwara State, by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have been sentenced to various jail terms after they pleaded guilty to the crime

A statement by Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the EFCC indicated that on Monday, June 24, 2024, Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin convicted and sentenced five of the 10 people to various jail terms.

The convicts are Sodiq Shehu; Ayinla Abdulwaheed Ayomide; Abdulkareem Omotosho ; Ekundayo Stephen Samuel and Ayinla Sofiu Abayomi

The charge against Ayomide reads:

“That you, Ayinla Abdulwaheed Ayomide whilst a PICKER between January 2022 and August 2023 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did take possession of the sum of N5,373,000.00 (Five Million, Three Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand Naira Only) transferred into your Zenith Bank account number: 2400818519 and FCMB Bank Account No: 4883945011 and which sum you knew directly represented the proceeds of crime of some persons, vz; Oluwatobi Babajide John, Akeem Adedeji, Adeleke Adedeji, e.t.c and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) & (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them, following which Prosecution counsel, Innocent Mbachie, prayed the court to convict and sentence them.

Consequently, Justice Anyadike sentenced Shehu to four months imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) on each counts

Similarly, Ayomide, Omotosho, Samuel and Abayomi were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment each with varying option of fine between N200,000 and N300,000.

The court also ordered that all the phones, laptops that were used by the convicts to perpetrate the crime and various sums of money brought by them as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.

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In a similar fashion, Justices Adebayo Yusuf and Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, and Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Ilorin at separate sittings on Tuesday, June 26, 2024, convicted another set of five suspected internet fraudsters to various jail terms.

They are Evugbemu Emoefe Emmanuel, Osi Ayomide Shitu, Alade Abiodun, Adegoke Gbolahan and Shehu Abdugafar Bukola.

The charges against Evugbemu Emoefe Emmanuel reads:

“That you, Evugbemu Emoefe Emmanuel (Alias: Lilian Trejo) sometime between November 2023 and April 2024 at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the High Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Lilian Trejo vide your Facebook messenger account and induced one Carl Perez to part with the sum of $1,300 (One Thousand, Three Hundred US Dollars) through Cash App and Gift cards thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 324 of the same law”

They pleaded guilty to their charges when they were read to them, following which EFCC Counsel, Innocent Mbachie, Andrew Akoja and Mustapha Kaigama prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The Justices, in their separate judgment, convicted and sentenced them to various jail terms.

Justice Yusuf sentenced Emmanuel to six months imprisonment without an option of fine and ordered that the sum of $1,3300 (One Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty US Dollars), which was recovered from him as well as his phone and laptop be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge also sentenced Abiodun to six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) fine, while Shittu bagged two years imprisonment with an option of N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only). The court also ordered that the phones used as an instrument of the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Bukola to six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and ordered the forfeiture of the sum of $150 (One Hundred and Fifty US Dollars) and the phone used by the convict to perpetrate the crime.

Justice Anyadike, in the same vein, sentenced Gbolahan to 6 months imprisonment each on the two counts brought against him with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) on each count. The court also ordered that the convict’s iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy S8, and MacBook laptop be forfeited to the Federal Government.