The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured the conviction and sentence of 36 internet fraudsters to various jail terms before Justices Uche Agomoh and E.U. Akpan of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State; Ladiran Akintola, K.B. Olawoyin, Bayo Taiwo and O.S. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan.
The convicts are Ayodele Victor Ayodeji; Adebayo Kazeem Akanbi; Ajayi Charles Temitayo; Rokeeb Olamide Taiwo; Olaleye Adedolapo Emmanuel; Emiade Azeez Ayotunde; Azeez Ademola; Afolabi Mayowa Akinbobola; Shittu Waheed Adeleke; Franklyn Ibeh Kelechi; Olanrewaju Olaitan Quadri; Olawale Elijah Seyi Awofolaju; Samuel Olayemi Ademeso; Akindele Timothy Olatunde; Sholeye Gideon Olamilekan; Waheed Olamide Ahmod; Lawal Paul Jelili ;Asaju Muhammad Numan and Badejo Adefemi Emmanuel.
Others are: Gomina Dennis Ozaveshe; Adio Hassan Taiwo; Adio Kehinde Hozaine; Adewunmi Adeboye Gabriel; John Oluwatimilehin Moses; Odeniyi Faruk Idowu; Owodunni Monsuru Abiodun; Sanwiyu Niyi Owonifari; Adeyinka Adewale Olujobi’; Ogunbiyi Segun Joseph; Ayomide Oniyitan Oluwatosin; Badmus Faruk Kayode; Jimoh Sylvester Enahoro; Azeta Sunday Osaremeh; Lukuman Olatemo; Emmanuel Ebgiri Ogah and Ayomide Ibrahim Ishola.
The charge against Ayomide Ibrahim Ishola read in part: “That you, Ayomide Ibrahim Ishola on or about October 2018, in Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, falsely represented yourself as a female from the United States of America with the name Lawrence Janet to one Ralph Wells via your Google Chat account, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
They were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents, impersonation and aiding in committing an offence upon arraignment by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC between April 24 and May 29, 2024.
All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them in court as 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 court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Consequently, Justice Agomoh convicted and sentenced Joseph, Oluwatosin, and Kayode to one-year imprisonment each without an option of fine, Enahoro to ten months imprisonment, while Osaremeh bagged six months imprisonment and Olatemo to four months imprisonment without an option of fine.
Also, Justice Akpan convicted and sentenced Owonifari to one and a half years imprisonment and Abiodun to one year imprisonment or a fine of N100,000.
Also, Justice Olawoyin convicted and sentenced Ishola to one and a half years imprisonment or a fine of N1.5 million and Olujobi bagged six months imprisonment or a fine of N400,000.
Justice Adeyemi convicted and sentenced Hozaine, Gabriel, Idowu, and Ogah to six months of community service each without an option of fine, as Idowu forfeited a silver coloured Toyota Camry car with registration number: GBE – 334 – AE to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced Ozaveshe to four months community service or a fine of N150,000 and Taiwo to five months community service or a fine of N150,000.
Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Adedolapo Emmanuel, Ayotunde, Ademola, Kelechi, Quadri, and Moses to one-year imprisonment each or fines of N50, 000; N100, 000; N20, 000; N30, 000; N150, 000 and N120, 000 respectively.
Also, Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Olamide Taiwo, Akinbobola, and Adefemi Emmanuel to six months of community service each or fines of N50, 000; N150, 000 and N60, 000 respectively.
Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Ayodeji, Akanbi, and Adeleke to three months of community service each or a fine of N20,000.00 each, while Temitayo, Awofolaju, and Jelili bagged three months of community service each or a fine of N30, 000 each.
Also, Olamilekan, Ahmod and Numan were convicted and sentenced to three months community service each or a fine of N25,000 each, while Ademeso also bagged three months of community service or a fine of N50,000 and Olatunde to three months of community service or a fine of N40, 000.
