Man jailed one year for $500 cybercrime after plea bargain

A Federal High Court in Ibadan on Monday sentenced a fraudster, Aboyomi Fatosi, to one year imprisonment over $500 internet fraud.

Delivering judgement, Justice N.E. Maha stated that she convicted and sentenced Fatosi based on the evidence tendered before her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

She said he was also sentenced for pleading guilty to the offence.

Maha added that the judgment was equally in line with the plea bargain agreement between the EFCC and the convict.

“Fatosi is, therefore, sentenced to one year imprisonment or an option of N250, 000 fine.

“The N400,000 cash confiscated from Fatosi’s GTB account is forfeited to the Federal Government account.

“Also, the smart phone found in his possession shall be auctioned and the proceeds shall be sent to the Federal Government account,” the judge held.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr Favour Adewumi, had told the court that Fatosi committed the crime sometime in May 2024 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Adewumi said that the convict aided one of his criminal gang members, Fawas Fayose, by getting him a smartphone with which he started defrauding unsuspecting internet users.

He said that the EFCC investigators printed pieces of information linking Fatosi with cybercrime out of his email address.

According to the prosecutor, Fatosi benefited the sum of $500 from the illicit business which he restituted at the end of investigation.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 27(1) and 22(B) of the Cyber Crime Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2022.