By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Seven internet fraudsters have been convicted to various jail terms by Justices M.O. Ishola and O.A. Lajide of Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan and S.O. Adeniyi of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta.
The convicted fraudsters were arraigned before the courts by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to EFCC, the convicts are Adio Peter Olakunle, Adebanjo Oluwafemi Samuel, Ezekiel Papi Kolawole, Lukman Olakunle Alabi, Sakiru Olamilekan Usman, Godwin Moses Abaka and Amosu Oladele Gbenon .
They were arraigned on one -count separate charge each before Justices M.O. Ishola, O.A. Lajide of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan and S.O. Adeniyi of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Amosu Oladele Gbenonu, ‘M’ on or about 12th of October, 2023 in Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud one Karl Ackman, did falsely represent yourself to be Sarah Williams, a white woman from the United States of America with google account sarah.dawkwills241@gmail.com which representation you knew to be false, thereby committed the offence of Personation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
The defendants pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC and consequently, facts of the cases were reviewed and several incriminating documents were tendered before the courts by the prosecution counsels, urging the courts to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
Justice Lajide sfter listening to the prayers of counsels convicted and sentenced Gbenonu, Abaka, Usman and Kolawole to six months community service each, while Alabi was sentenced to two months community service.
Also, Justice Ishola convicted and sentenced Samuel to six months community service and Justice Adeniyi sentenced Olakunle to four months community service.
Justice Lajide also ordered Gbenonu to pay the sum of N2 million, Abaka to pay N1 million, Usman to pay N800, 000.00k (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) and Kolawole to pay the sum of N400, 000.00K (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) as fines alongside their jail terms respectively.
The convicts were also ordered to restitute their various victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
