The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office has arraigned Olukoya Adeyemi before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan.
Olukoya, who claimed to be working with a Chinese company, was reportedly arraigned, on Monday on 30-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable by Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
One of the charges read in parts, “That Olukoya Emmanuel Adeyemi on or about the 26th day of April 2019 in Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N77,000.00 from one Ajiboye Adeniye Hammeed through your Access Bank Account No. 0728344XXX, under the false pretence that you have given him employment with the Nigeria Customs and that the payment was for the Custom job replacement and training kit, a pretext which you knew to be false and you deceitfully made it, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable by Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Chidi Okoli, applied for a trial date and prayed the Court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Counsel to the defendant, Peniela Akintujoyen, prayed the Court to admit the defendant to bail but the application was objected to by the prosecution counsel.
Justice Abdulmalik remanded the defendant in Agodi Custodial Centre and adjourned the case till March 31, 2021, for trial and ruling on the defendant’s bail application.
Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity to EFCC, said trouble started for Adeyemi following a petition received by the Commission alleging that sometimes in 2019 he obtained several sums from unsuspecting victims on the pretext that he had secured employment slots for them with the Nigeria Customs Service and extorted over N1, 000, 000 from his victims.
In a related development, the Commission, on Tuesday secured the conviction of four internet fraudsters before Justice Mohammed Abubakar of a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
They are Olawale Ibrahim Damilare, Goodluck Sambo Olatayo, Mathew Anuoluwapo Awoniyi and Samson Olawale Ayomide.
They pleaded guilty to one-count amended charge of fraudulent Impersonation contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) 1 and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.
In view of their guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Oyelakin Oyediran, reviewed the case and urged the Court to convict the defendants accordingly.
Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced Olawale Ibrahim Damilare and Goodluck Sambo Olatayo to three months and four months imprisonment respectively, while Matthew Anuoluwapo Awoniyi and Samson Olawale Ayomide were also convicted and sentenced to seven and eight months respectively.
Justice Abubakar ordered the convicts to refund various sums to their victims: Olawale, $1,500 (One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars); Olatayo, $500 (Five Hundred United States Dollars); Awoniyi, $100 USD and Two Hundred and Thirty Two Thousand Naira (N232, 000) and Ayomide, $4,000 (Four Thousand United States Dollars).
