Court convicts 21 web fraudsters in Ibadan, orders forfeiture of automobiles, devices

The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of 21 web fraudsters earlier than the Federal High Court and the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan.

The convictions had been handed down by Justices Uche Agomoh, O.S. Adeyemi, Ladiran Akintola, R.B. Olawoyin, O.S. Adeniyi, O.A. Adetujoye, M.O. Ishola, and Bayo Taiwo after the fraudsters confronted separate costs of advance price fraud, acquiring by false pretence, impersonation, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent paperwork.

The convicted people embody Waheed Hamid Aromose, Aliu Abayomi Victor, Ugbe Emmanuel Ukali, Ajewole Segun Abraham, Abeeb Ridwan Bidemi, Kolawole Oreoluwa Johnson, Olorunyomi Sina Ayo, Ajewole Ojo Kayode, Adewale Adetola Adedotun, Olatunji Waliu Adegbaro, Shodeinde Joshua Adeyemi, Adeoye Bayo Lanre, Taufeek Rafiu Olamide, Adegbite Oluwaseyi Damilare, Hamzat Qowiyu Ajibola, Ayorinde Festus Morakinyo, Damilola Moore Ayomide, Ayinde Oluwaseun Ridwan, Ogunsami Farouk Adeyinka, Sheriff Funso Oparinde, and Adewale Bolaji Al-Ameen.

One of the costs revealed that Adewale Bolaji Al-Ameen impersonated an American named “Joshua Smith” by way of Instagram to defraud a sufferer, Jonathan Tocobel, an offence opposite to Section 484 of the Oyo State Criminal Code Law.

According to EFCC, all of the defendants pleaded responsible to their costs, prompting EFCC prosecutors Modupe Akinkoye, Sanusi Galadanchi, Lanre Suleiman, Mabas Mabur, Shamsudeen Bashir, Umar Abiso and A.M. Aliyu to induce the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The judges imposed various sentences relying on the load of the proof and the circumstances of every case.

Some of the convicts got neighborhood service phrases, others obtained fines, whereas a couple of had been sentenced to years of imprisonment with none choice of a tremendous.

“Olatunji Waliu Adegbaro was sentenced to six months of community service or a fine of ₦250,000, and he was also ordered to forfeit a 2015 Mercedes Benz GLK. Ajewole Ojo Kayode, Adewale Adetola Adedotun and Sheriff Funso Oparinde received one-year jail terms each, with options of fines between ₦50,000 and ₦60,000. Aliu Abayomi Victor, Abeeb Ridwan Bidemi and Ajewole Segun Abraham were given three months of community service each or ₦50,000 fines, while Ugbe Emmanuel Ukali was ordered to pay ₦40,000. Waheed Hamid Aromose was sentenced to three months of community service, Olorunyomi Sina Ayo to six months of community service alongside the forfeiture of a 2013 Toyota Camry, and Kolawole Oreoluwa Johnson to one year imprisonment with an option of ₦200,000 fine”, EFCC disclosed.

It added that the stiffest punishments had been handed to Adeoye Bayo Lanre, who obtained 5 years imprisonment with out choice of tremendous, and Taufeek Rafiu Olamide, who bagged two years imprisonment additionally with out choice of tremendous. Adegbite Oluwaseyi Damilare was sentenced to 1 12 months in jail however given an choice of ₦500,000 tremendous, whereas Damilola Moore Ayomide additionally bought one 12 months imprisonment and forfeited a 2013 Toyota Camry. Ayinde Oluwaseun Ridwan was equally sentenced to 1 12 months in jail. Adewale Bolaji Al-Ameen, the impersonator, obtained 4 months of neighborhood service and a ₦100,000 tremendous, whereas Hamzat Qowiyu Ajibola bagged two months of neighborhood service with out the choice of a tremendous. Other convicts, together with Shodeinde Joshua Adeyemi and Ogunsami Farouk Adeyinka, had been handed shorter neighborhood service sentences.

The courts additionally ordered all of the convicts to forfeit their cellphones, laptops, different digital devices, and monies discovered of their financial institution accounts to the Federal Government as proceeds of crime.

The EFCC defined that the fraudsters’ downfall started when credible intelligence uncovered their involvement in cybercrime operations in Ibadan and different components of Oyo State. Following investigations, they had been arrested, charged in court docket, and finally convicted.

The Commission burdened that the sentences underscore its willpower to rid society of cybercriminals and warned that these nonetheless engaged in such unlawful ventures threat not solely imprisonment but in addition the forfeiture of their property.