Court jails 17 internet fraudsters in Oyo, Ogun

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of 17 internet fraudsters to various jail terms.

The internet fraudsters were jailed between January 8 and 28, 2024, after being arraigned before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan and Justice A.A. Babawale of the Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta on a separate lone count charge each.

The convicts are Akinbode Abiodun, Samad Tijani Owolabi, Ademola Olabamiji Quadri, Evewiekpoamare Tivere Jackson, Adeagbo Stephen Adegbenro, Adesanya Olamilekan Dare, Yusuf Saka Olaoluwatobi, Akinbode Adedolapo Joshua, Musa Ayinde Olorunnisola, and Lawal Mohammed Segun.

Others include Moses Bitrus Bugama, Odude Kehinde Ayomipo, Bashiru Quadri Adeyinka, Ochoche Silas Ochola, Nurudeen Olamilekan Quam, Afeez Adewale Jimoh, and Olowookere Ademola Sobbur.

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One of the charges read: “That you Adesanya Olamilekan Dare ‘M’ on or about 24th May, 2023, at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be a white man by the name Daryl Huffman from United States of America to one Angie Shepard, through your Facebook account with email address: daryhuffman1960@gmail.com, and other pretences, which pretences you knew to be false, thereby committed offence of personation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”

They all pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Consequently, facts of the cases were reviewed by the prosecution counsels as indicting documents and other incriminating materials were tendered as evidence before the courts.

The prosecution counsels further prayed the courts to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

Upon the prayers of the prosecution counsels, Justice Babawale convicted and sentenced Sobbur to one year imprisonment without a fine option.

Justice Adetujoye also convicted and sentenced Olorunnisola to two months imprisonment, while Jimoh, Quam, Ochola, Adeyinka, Ayomipo, Bugama, Segun, and Olaoluwatobi were sentenced to one month imprisonment each.

Joshua, Dare, Adegbenro and Abiodun were convicted and sentenced to two weeks imprisonment each without an option of fine, while Owolabi, Quadri and Jackson bagged two weeks community service each.

The courts also ordered that the convicts restitute their various victims, including Owolabi who is to pay the sum of N11.7 million as restitution.

Items forfeited by the convicts to the Federal Government included one gold colour Lexus ES 330 with Registration number: FKG 184 HZ, one unregistered silver colour Toyota Corolla 2006 model, one black colour Honda Pilot 2004 model with registration number: LSR 783 HW and Chassis number: 2HKYF18464H598117, and one black Lexus ES 300 2002 model with registration number: APP 27 GT with chassis number: JTHBF30G020048119, among others.

The Star