Uduegbunam ChukwujamaThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Tuesday said it got 13 major convictions in three states of Benue, Oyo and Kwara.
Three independent statements signed by its spokesman Wilson Uwajuren said the EFCC got two favourable judgments against Internet fraudsters in Markurdi (Benue); five in Ilorin (Kwara); and five other convictions in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
In Makurdi, the Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Monday March 7, 2022, secured the conviction and sentencing of Edigbo Oibe Fredrick and Valentine Agbaka Oryiman before Justice Abdu Dogo of the Federal High Court on separate one-count charge bordering on cyber fraud.
The offence is contrary to section 22(2) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
The charges preferred against the defendants read:
“That you, Edigbo Oibe Fredrick sometime in November, 2020 in Makurdi within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did dishonestly make use of a unique identification feature to wit: A USA PASSPORT of one Clarke Veronica with No. CL01011256 to gain advantage to yourself and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 22(2) (i) of Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention Etc) Act. 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) iv of the same Act.
“That you, Valentine Agbaka Oryiman sometime between the 25th and 27th April, 2021 in Makurdi within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired with one Kelvin Tsokar Terhile (AKA OLD MAN CENTRE) now at large and defrauded Cosmic Intelligence Lab of the sum of N1, 350,000 (One Million Three Hundred and Fifty Naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention Etc) Act. 2015 and punishable under Section 28(2) of the same Act”.
Upon reading the amended charges to them, the defendants pleaded guilty and were convicted accordingly.
Justice Dogo sentenced Fredrick to two and half years imprisonment with an option of fine of One Million Naira (N1, 000,000.00).The judge also ordered that the convict forfeit all proceeds of crime, including an Apple Phone and Apple Macbook AIR4.2, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Oryiman was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N400, 000.00. They are also to undertake, to be of good behaviour afterwards.
Five Convictions in Ibadan
The Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC secured conviction of five cybercriminals before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court and Justice Bayo Taiwo of the State High Court, both sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on one-count charge each bordering on fraudulent impersonation, contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State.
The convicts are: Shelter Chibundo Ogadi, Oluwole Ezekiel Odueso, Subair Rasaq Olashina Olajide, Usman Adams Abdullahi and Omolade Salam Balogun.
They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them. Upon their pleas, prosecution counsel reviewed the facts of the cases and urged the courts to convict and sentence them as charged.
Consequently, Justices Agomoh and Taiwo convicted and sentenced them. Shelter Chibund Ogadi was sentenced to one year imprisonment, Oluwole Ezekiel Odueso nine months imprisonment while Subair Rasaq Olashina Olajide Olajide bagged four months jail term.
Usman Adams Abdullahi and Omolade Salam Balogun were sentenced to six months community service each.
Also, the court ordered the convicts to refund $2, 330USD (Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-Three United States Dollars), N475, 000.00 (Four Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand Naira), and forfeit eight exotic mobile phones and one laptop to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In Ilorin
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Monday, March 7, 2022 also secured the conviction of five persons for offences bordering on cybercrime and other internet-related fraud.
They are Laoshe Abdul Olajide, Akinbohun Oluwatobiloba Stephen from Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Hammed Quadri Babatunde from Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State, Lawal Opeyemi Faruq from Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State and one David Ayodeji Ezekiel.
Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court in Ilorin convicted and sentenced the defendants to various jail terms after the court found them guilty of the charges brought against them by the EFCC.
The defendants, who were arraigned on separate charges pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Following their guilty pleas, Aliyu Adebayo, Andrew Akoja and Rasheedat Alao who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the Commission urged the court to pronounce the defendants guilty as charged and sentence them.
Justice Sani sentenced Laoshe to three months imprisonment on count 1 and 2 with option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and ordered that the Apple iPhone x6 which was used as instrumentality of crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In the same vein, Akinbohun was sentenced to one year imprisonment with option of fine of N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only). He was ordered to forfeit an Apple IPhone 6, Techno Spark 5, $100 (One Hundred Dollars) and N20,000 (Twenty Thousand Naira Only) recovered from him to the Federal Government.
Justice Sani also sentenced Hammed to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only). He ordered that the convict’s iPhone X, iphone 11, blue laptop, which were used as instrumentality of the crime and the sum of $110 (One Hundred and Ten Dollars), which was a proceed of his unlawful activities be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Similarly, Lawal was sentenced to one year imprisonment with option of fine of N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only). The court ordered the forfeiture of one iPhone 13 which he used to perpetrate the crime, a Lexus 250 car with chassis number JTHBK262085054547, $200 (Two Hundred Dollars and N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) to the Federal Government.
The judge also imposed a prison term of one year on David with option of N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and ordered the forfeiture of one Toyota Corolla 2004 Car, Samsung S10, iPhone X, one red laptop and the sum of N231,498.99 domiciled in his GT bank account to the Federal Government
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