A Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday, sentenced a 25-year-old man, Shittu Babatunde Marvelous, to one-year imprisonment for presenting himself as an investor in Cryptocurrency and other fraudulent activities.
  
The trial judge, Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, sentenced Marvelous after pleading guilty to one count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
  
EFCC’s counsel, Mr A. A. Gambuwa, had, at the resumed hearing of the matter, urged the court to take the plea of the defendant. Consequently, he was arraigned and pleaded guilty to the charge.
  
While reviewing the facts of the case, Gambuwa said the convict was arrested by the Commission following an intelligence report .
  
“He was arrested, and he gave a voluntary statement after being interviewed and admitted to having benefited the sum of $5,000.
 
“We also recovered an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a MacBook laptop from him.
  
“He claimed to be an investor in Cryptocurrency, thereby misinforming the public, he therefore prayed the court to convict the defendant as charged.
  
“Upon the defendant’s guilty plea and admission of the facts, Marvelous was convicted of a one-count charge of possession of fraudulent documents, contrary to section 320 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015,” Gambuwa said.
  
In his plea of mercy, Babatunde said: “I am really sorry, I have realised my mistake, and I am ready to live a better life and become a better me.”
 
Also, his counsel, Ms. B. Opeyemi, in her allocutus, affirmed that the defendant was genuinely sorry and remorseful. She noted that the defendant has promised to exhibit good behaviour, and asked that the judge temper justice with mercy.
 
Justice Abike-Fadipe in her ruling held that the defendant was a first-time offender and had promised to exhibit good behaviour and make restitution.
 
The court therefore sentenced him to one year of imprisonment with option of a fine of N500,000 and 40 hours of community service.
 
“The defendant will also forfeit his iPhone 12 Pro Max and a MacBook computer recovered as proceeds of the fraudulent acts to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the judge ruled.