Tunde Bakare
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 secured the conviction and sentence of two internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts, Adeleye Olanrewaju and Ayo Olaosebiomo were convicted by Justice I. Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Gwagwalada on a one- count charge each.
The lone- count charge against Olanrewaju reads: ‘that you Adeleye Olanrewaju sometime in 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court committed the offence of cheating by personation when you pretended to be one Lolita Gonzale293 female American citizen when you created a fake Instagram account for love scam and benefitted the sum of $460 (Four Hundred and Sixty United States Dollars) from your victim John Alonzo and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004”.
They both pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
The prosecution counsel thereafter urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. However, defense counsel, Sunday Adebayo and Okoro Nnachi Abiam prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that the convicts were first -time offenders and already pleaded guilty so as not to waste the time of the court.
Following this, Justice Mohammed sentenced Adeleye to one year imprisonment with an option of N100, 000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine while Olaosebiomo was sentenced to six months imprisonment with a N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) option of fine. Both convicts forfeited their phones to the Federal Government.
The convicts began their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested by operatives of the Abuja Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences. They were charged to Court and convicted.