Court convicts 11 for Internet fraud in Ogun, Oyo

•EFCC arrests 20 others

The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of 11 cyber-criminals to various jail terms.

The convicts are: Olakunle Dave Edamisan, Samuel Opeyemi Enitan, Daniel Aanu Omoyajowo, Jonathan Emmanuel Opashi, Daramola Damilola Aliu, Olarenwaju Olamilekan Oluwaseun, Olaoluwa Daniel Adejobi, Akintola Akindeji Festus, Tijani Babatunde Adedayo, Sodiq Opeyemi Odunewu and Powei Ibelih Theophillious.

The convicts were prosecuted following their arrest for alleged cybercrime and other related fraud activities.Upon their arraignments before Justices Ladiran Akintola and Adebukola Lajide of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan and Justice Sinmisola Adeniyi of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta, they all pleaded ‘guilty’ to the one-count separate charge filed against them.

Following their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Olatunji Akintola, Umar Abiso, Shamsudeen Bashir, Adamu Sahabi, Zainab Tijani and Fatima Baba reviewed the facts of their cases and prayed the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.

Consequently, Justice Adeniyi convicted and sentenced Odunewu, Adedayo, Festus, Adejobi and Oluwaseun to one-year imprisonment each without an option of fine.

Also, Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Omoyajowo, Opashi and Aliu to one-year imprisonment each; Edamisan to six months community service; Enitan to three months community service, while Powei was convicted and sentenced to six months community service.

He will in addition forfeit N500,000 and N1.4 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

However, Omoyajowo was given an option of N40,000 fine, while Opashi, Aliu and Edamisan were given an option of N50, 000.00 fine each.The convicts were ordered to restitute their various victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

ALSO, the zone has arrested 20 alleged Internet fraudsters. The suspects were arrested on September 1, at Ologolo and Idi-Ishin areas of Ibadan, Oyo State, following intelligence on their fraudulent activities.

The suspects are Mustapha Adeyemi Afeez, Oluyombo Tunde Ayomide, Ayanwola Tobi, Oni Joseph Promise, OsifesoTijesunimi David, Anthony Lucky Daniel, Olanrenwaju Selim Adebowale and Ezekiel Olawole Kolawole.

Others include: Abaka Clitus, Adeyinka Wande Ajayi, Gbolahan Lanre Ayinde, Abeeb Rilwan Bidemi, Augustine Okoh, Ayanwonla Omotayo Olaoluwa, Azeez Ibrahim Olamide, Ayanwola Segun Victor, Onifade Ridwan Olabisi, Abaka Moses, Aladelusi Adeyinka Temitope Mathew and Abolaji Muiz Ajibola.

Items recovered from them include: three Toyota Camry cars, unregistered grey-coloured Toyota RAV 4, laptop computers, and several mobile phones, among others. They will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.