The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wednesday, secured the conviction of 17 internet fraudsters in Abeokuta, Ogun state, and three in Osogbo, the Osun state.
A press statement by the EFCC Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Drle Oyewale, Wednesday in Abuja, said the convicts were sentenced to varying degrees of jail terms by Justices Mohammed Abubakar and Ibrahim Watilat of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta. The spokesperson named the convicts as: Olofuntuyi Ayofemi Ishola; Maja Toheeb; Laleye Olaoluwa; Janta Oluwafolabomi; Ashaba Franklin Unuagbon; Daniel Stephen Temitope; Yusuf Ayuba; Malojuekun Oluwatobi; and Aladejobi Adeshola.
Others include: Faniyi Jamiu Olalekan; Adegbamigbe Oluwabiyi Emmanuel; Oni Temidayo Victor; Ejiro Daniel; Kushimo Toheed; Olamilekan Adedeji; Adebanjo Olamide; and Ikegbunam Chukwuemeka Chidebube.
He said Justice Watilat convicted and sentenced Ishola to five months in prison; Toheeb and Olaoluwa were handed three months each; Oluwafolabomi earned two months, while Unuagbon bagged one month with an order to sign a bond at both Ibadan and Benin EFCC zonal offices to be of good conduct henceforth.
Similarly, Temitope bagged six months in prison from Justice Abubakar; Adeshola got five months; while he handed three months each to Ayuba, Oluwatobi, Olalekan, Emmanuel, Victor, Daniel, Toheed, Adedeji, Olamide and Chidebube.
The spokesperson said the convicts are to forfeit all items recovered from them to the federal government, and also restitute sundry sums of money to their respective victims.
In the same vein, Justices Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel and Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, also convicted and sentenced Emmanuel Tolulope; Al-Ameen Olaitan Adesayo; and Omotayo Oyeleke; to prison terms for internet-related offences.
The spokesperson said Justice Ayo-Emmanuel found Tolulope guilty of criminal impersonation filed against him and sentenced him to seven months in prison.
He said the judge had earlier on Tuesday, June 9, convicted Adesayo after finding him guilty of obtaining money by false pretence; an offence that runs contrary to Section 1 (1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under the same act.
Oyewale said the convict was sentenced to six months in prison with effect from the date of his arrest and was ordered to restitute his victim, the sum of $250 through the EFCC.
He said Justice Lifu handled Oyeleke’s matter.
