A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday sentenced Opeyemi Folarin and Ogunseye Olamilekan
for fraudulent impersonation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office said it secured the conviction of the two accused persons on Wednesday.
The Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, Folarin, who claimed to be 27-year-old Higher National Diploma student of The Polytechnic Ibadan and Ogunseye, who claimed to be a student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta were found guilty of separate amended lone count of impersonation.
The offense is said to be contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act.
The two accused persons pleaded guilty to the charges.
Justice Patricia Ajoku ordered that Folarin should forfeit his Orange colour Iphone XR to the Federal Government while Ogunseye was ordered to restitute the sum of $700USD (seven Hundred United States of American Dollars) to his victim.
As well, Ogunseye is to forfeit his silver Iphone 6, one Apple series 6 watch, one Apple MacBook and one PlayStation 4 Game pad, to the federal government of Nigeria.
In a recent development, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan sentenced a fraudster, Oluwatobi Aina, to four-month-jail-term.
The EFCC said it secured his conviction after due investigation.
The 26-year-old, who claimed to be a fashion enthusiast, was said to have been arrested on September 29, 2020, when the Commission got wind of his fraudulent activities and was consequently charged to court on one-count charge bordering on impersonation.
The charge read in parts, “Oluwatobi Damilola Aina, sometimes between the month of January and October 2020 in Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourself as a female known as Namita Cooling.”
Uwujaren said that Aina, having pleaded guilty to the charge, was convicted and sentenced to four months in prison.
The court also ordered him to restitute items recovered from him to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the EFCC.
It will be recalled that eight suspected internet fraudsters were arrested in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, last week. EFCC said they would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
Two of the suspects, who are brothers, gave their names as Adepoju and Adeniyi Akinrinmade. The duo were reportedly arrested in their room and parlor apartment, alongside Dennis Oluwamuyiwa, Oni Oluwaseyi, Adeyemo Adeyinka, Abayomi Aborisade, Goodluck Olatayo, and Gbolahan Sodiq.
The Commission said that they were arrested during an early morning raid in their hideout at Ayegbami area of the town.
The Commission said that “Operatives at the zone had, for days, kept surveillance on activities around the spots after receiving intelligence alleging illegal use of the internet for criminal acts.”
Items that were recovered from the suspects include two cars, laptops and phones.
The Commission had, earlier in the week, arrested 13 suspected internet fraudsters in Ibadan.
Their arrest, on Monday, followed an intelligence reports detailing their alleged involvement in internet fraud and other related offences.
Four cars, phones, laptops and other incriminating documents used in perpetrating the crime were allegedly recovered from them while last week, the Commission announced the arrest of 11 suspected fraudsters in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The EFCC, acting on intelligence, arrested the suspects in their hideouts.
