Engineer, 5 others jailed for internet fraud

The Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has sentenced a civil engineer, Abeeb Uthman Jasola, to six months imprisonment for offences bordering on cybercrime and retention of proceeds of crime.

Jasola was prosecuted alongside Oladimeji Abubakar Oseni and Victor Anuoluwapo Kayode by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges, to which they pleaded guilty.

Three other internet fraudsters Parakoyi Raihan Tobiloba, Morenikeji Mazeed Ayomide, and Solihu Abubakar Sodiq were also jailed.

While Justice Olukayode Ariwoola of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin jailed Tobiloba, Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the same court convicted the duo of Ayomide and Solihu on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

A statement issued by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Thursday, June 13, noted that Jasola was arraigned on four-count charges bordering on internet fraud while the other five convicts were arraigned on one-count separate charges each.

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Count one of the charges against the engineer read: “That you, Abeeb Uthman Jasola, whilst a Picker between January 2021 and December 2022 at Ilorin within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did take possession of the sum of N3,330,500.00 transferred into your account number: 0243337682 domiciled with Wema Bank Plc. and which sum you knew directly represented the proceeds of crime of some persons, vz; Azeez Faruq Dolapo, Tawakalitu Modadeola, Zolman Technology etc and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) & (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”

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

Following their pleas, prosecution counsel Innocent Mbachie and Aliyu Adebayo prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Justice Anyadike sentenced Jasola to two months imprisonment on each of the four counts with an option of N200,000 on each count.

In the same vein, Oseni and Kayode were convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment each with an option of fine of N200,000 each.

The judge ordered that the convicts’ phones, including the sum of N500,000 and the title documents of a landed property recovered from Jasola be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Justice Anyadike also sentenced Ayomide and Solihu to 12 months imprisonment each with a fine option of N200,000 and N300,000, respectively.

The judge also ordered that their phones, including a car recovered from Solihu be forfeited to the Federal Government.

In another judgement, Justice Ariwoola sentenced Tobiloba to six months’ probation and ordered that the convict be made to swear an affidavit of good conduct and be reporting to the Chief Registrar of the court every last Thursday of the month within the next six months.

The judge added that the convict would be given maximum punishment if he commits another offence during the period of probation.

The Star