Hyacinth Chinweuba
A High Court in Oyo State has sentenced two Internet Fraudsters to jail.
Garuba Majeed Opeyemi and Olawoyin Pelumi Muhktar, were sent to jail a few days ago by Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for committing internet fraud.
The two were prosecuted by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on amended one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and (Other Fraud Related) Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act, to which they pleaded guilty.
Following their guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Mabas Mabur urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Taiwo pronounced them guilty and sentenced each to six months in prison. Aside from his prison term, Opeyemi will restitute his victim the sum of $800 (Eight Hundred United States Dollars), and forfeit his Lexus ES 330 SUV, iPhone 11 Pro Max, Apple Series 3 wristwatch, and HP EliteBook to the federal government of Nigeria, while Muhktar will restitute the sum of $100 (One Hundred United States Dollars) and another N240,000 (Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) to his victims. He also forfeited his iPhone 8 plus mobile phone to the federal government.