Justice Mohammed Sanni of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, has convicted three internet fraudsters over offences bordering on cybercrime.
The trio, Ojo David Oluwatosin, Oreoluwa Ayub and Adetoyi Sodiq, who were charged on one count each, were sentenced to six months jail each.
They were arraigned on separate counts on July 16, 2021 and pleaded guilty to their charges.
Following their guilty pleas, the facts of their cases were reviewed with Counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, leading prosecution witnesses who are operatives of the commission in evidence.
Incriminating documents including confessional statements of each suspect were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court.
Items recovered from the convicts including iPhones, HP laptop and a draft of N40,000 used as instruments of crime were also tendered and admitted in evidence.
In his judgement, Justice Sanni, pronounced the accused guilty and sentenced them to six months jail each with option of N100,000 fine each.
He also ordered the forfeiture of the iPhones, HP laptop and the N40,000 draft to the Federal government.
On the charge sheet of Ojo David Oluwatosin (Steve Puliam), he was alleged to have sometime in March 2020, at Ado Ekiti, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, fraudulently impersonated one Steve Puliam, with the intent to obtain money from one Liza Weaver who chatted vide his email; [email protected] after superimposing another male picture and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)b of the cybercrimes (Prohibition prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2)b(IV) of the same Act.
For Adetoyi Sodiq (Linda Linda), he was alleged to have sometime in May 2020, at Ekiti, within the judicial division of the Federal high Court, fraudulently impersonated one Anya Ivy whose pictures, he used with the intent to obtain money from one Robert E. Smith, whom he chatted with vide his email; [email protected] with the profile name; Linda Linda for which he later obtained 100 US dollars vide iTunes gift card and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)b(1) of the cybercrime (Prohibition prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2)b(IV) of the same Act.
On the part of Oreoluwa Ayub, (James Moors), he was alleged to have sometime in February 2020, at Ekiti, within the judicial division of the Federal high court, fraudulently impersonated one James Moors, with the intent to obtain money from one Jeremy Bedwell whom he chatted vide his email; [email protected] and thereby an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)b(1) of the cybercrime( Prohibition prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2)b(IV) of the same Act.
DAILY POST
