*39 others too.
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Director of Logistics of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Federal University, Oye-Ekiti Chapter, Adeyemi Israel Abiodun and 39 others have been sentenced to one year imprisonment each by an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan for internet-related fraud.
According to EFCC, the 39 other convicted persons are Yekeen Azeez Ishola, Okeniyi Sanuel Akiniyi, Theophilus Ademola Bukola, Salami Mohammed Adetayo, Pelumi Ajayi Temiloluwa, Lawal Abdullateef Olalekan, Okusanwo Mayowa Daniel, Oluwole Oluwasegun Ayomide, Adedotun Omodele Yusuf, Monday Nnaemeka Samuel, Idowu Adeshina, Olowe Nifemi Ayomide, Adubu Olamiotan Sunday, Kehinde Olatunji Kehinde, Oguntuase Tope Francis, Elijah Isaac Wisdom, Ogbanaya Chukwu Chukwu, Adekola Adekunle, Odebode Temiloluwa Kehinde, Joseph Odunayo Clement, Andrew Adekunle Masika, Usman Mubarak Damilare, Isiaka Olumide Hammed and Uawu Osita Henry
The commission gave other names as Kareem Afeez Alabi, Ogunyemi Ayobami Samuel, Mimiola Victor Olamide, Adeeko Kolade Emmanuel, Egberongbe Adedayo Quam, Oyelaran Olayiwola Jeremaih, Hammed Rilwan Ishola, Adefowora Omotayo David, Adedeji Ibrahim Olamilekan, Emmanuel Timileyin Akinbowale, Michael Damola Olanrewaju, Ayanyemi Olaide Samuel, Boye Timilehin Emmanuel, Timileyin Ajibola Idowu and Azeez Tolulope Ayoade.
The NANS leader, Abiodun was arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima and the 39 tothers were prosecuted before Justices Bayo Taiwo, Akintola Ladiran and Olusola Adetujoye .
EFCC in a statement, stressed that the 40 persons were arraigned before the court on offences bordered on impersonation, obtaining money under false pretence, obtaining property by false pretence and forgery contrary to Sections 419, 467, 484, 516 and 508 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
In the one count charge against Abiodun, the commission said, “that you, Adeyemi Israel Abiodun and Odaise Precious Abiola (aka Prezzy) (at large) on or about 30th March, 2022 at Ibadan, within the Ibadan Judicial Division did conspire to forge various United States of America Banks Cheques and purport same to be genuine and thereby committed the offence of conspiracy to commit forgery contrary to Section 516 and 467 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
The 40 persons however pleaded “guilty” to the charges filed against them by the EFCC and that with the
guilty pleas, the prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye, Oyelakin Oyediran, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Abdulrasheed Suleiman, Mabas Mabur and Samsuddeen Bashir reviewed the facts of the cases, tendered confessional statements and documents recovered from the convicts as exhibits and urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
Abiodun, Daniel and Ayomide were convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment each without the “option of fine”, while Akiniyi bagged three months jailed term and six months community service.
Other defendants were convicted and sentenced to six months community service each.
The court also ordered Abiodun to pay the sum of $1,000USD (One Thousand United States Dollars) in restitution and forfeit a white Mercedes Benz CLA-250 with customized NANS plate number worth N16million, a gold neck chain and one ice neck chain worth N3.6million, bitcoin worth $58, 854.88USD, one Apple MacBook Pro 2020 Model and an iPhone 12 Pro Max to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Other convicts were ordered to restitute their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them.
It will be recalled, that Abiodun, a 200 level student of Economics and Development Studies of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State was arrested on March, 30, 2022, alongside seventy-nine (79) others in a sting operation by the operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC at Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State for alleged internet fraud.
