Courts Jail 59 Internet Fraudsters In Oyo, Ogun, Osogbo

Tunde Bakare

The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of fifty nine (59) 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.

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 pretence.

The charge against Uzoma reads: “That you, Okoro Justine Uzoma sometimes 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 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 reads: “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.”

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.

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 (One Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) 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 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), N400, 000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and N700, 000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) 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 to 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 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) each. Oluwapelumi was sentenced to three months imprisonment or a fine of N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira).

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 option of N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand), N250, 000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira), N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), N250, 000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), N250, 000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) and N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) respectively.

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 (One Hundred Thousand Naira), N250, 000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) and N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) respectively.

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

Also, he convicted and sentenced Ayomide to six months community service or a fine of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira), Fafore and Dolapo to six months community service each or to pay a fine of N40, 000.00 (Forty Thousand Naira) each and David to six months community service or to a fine of N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira).

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

Also, he convicted Abeeb Olamilekan and Martins and sentenced them to pay a fine of N20, 000.00 (Twenty Thousand Naira) each.

Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan convicted and sentenced Idowu Oluwaseun to five months community service, Olumide, Sunday and Kehinde Matthew to four months community service each without an option of fine. Also, Samson Opeyemi bagged two months 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 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and Ejisun Kehinde to six months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N300, 000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira).

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 ways to the Correctional Centres when they were arrested for internet-related offences. They were charged to court and convicted.