The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction and sentencing of 17 internet fraudsters before Justices Bayo Taiwo, Ladoke Akintola, and Mohammed Owolabi of the State High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State and Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu of Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta, on a separate one count charge each.
Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity of the EFCC, said in a statement in Abuja on Monday that the jail terms range from two to nine months community service, and one year in prison.
He said the convicts are Oduola Kunmi Ireola, Igbamidun Joshua Olamiposi, Ismael Fatai Olatunji, Osundele Oladapo Daniel, Olawale Isaac Adeleke, Olorunyomi Idowu Babatunde, Aneh Ojonimi, Olaide Iyanuoluwa Sadare, Akintola Babatunde Rasheed, Jamiu Babatunde Salam, Aluko Abayomi Oluwadamilare, Bello Ridwan Ayobami, Maleek Michael Ibrahim, Arasi Oluwaseun Tobi, Ganiu Fawaz Olalekan, Bello Ayoinde Olamilekan and Abiodun Taiwo Kareem.
Uwujaren said they all pleaded ‘guilty’ to the one count charge filed against each one of them by the EFCC.
Consequently, he said that the prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye, Oyelakin Oyediran, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Musa Galadanchi, Abdulrasheed Suleiman, Mabas Mabur, and Samsudeen Bashir reviewed the facts of the cases and urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
According to him, Osundele was convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment while Arasi, Ganiu and Ibrahim bagged nine months jail term each.
Also, he said Akintola was convicted and sentenced to nine months community service, Oduola, Jamiu, Aluko and Bello to six months community service each while Igbamidun and Kareem bagged five months community service each.
Furthermore, Olatunji was convicted and sentenced to four months community service, Ayorinde to two months community service while Olorunyomi, Ojonimi, Sadare were convicted and fined N100, 000. 00 each and Adeleke to N150, 000 .00 fine.
Justice Bayo Taiwo ordered that Osundele Oladapo Daniel pay the sum of $16, 671. 00 in restitution and forfeit one white colour Toyota Venza car worth N7 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Uwujaren also added that other convicts were ordered to restitute their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them by the government.
