A 26-year-old man, Oluwatobi Aina, was on Tuesday sentenced to four-month-jail-term by Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for engaging in fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office, said it secured his conviction after due investigation.
Akintola, 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 pressed against him 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.”
Mr Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity, said, 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.
The Commission alleged that they recovered 12 cars, including three Toyota Highlander SUVs, one Mercedes Benz GLK 350 SUV, one Acura SUV, two Honda Crosstour, two Toyota Venza and three other Toyota brands.
Also recovered from the suspects are phones, laptops and other devices.
Some of them claimed to be students, while others said they were artisans, farmers and businessmen. They are currently being quizzed to ascertain their levels of involvement in the alleged crime.
It was gathered that they would soon be charged to court immediately investigations are concluded.
Within the same week, the Commission arrested seven suspected persons over their alleged involvement in internet fraud at Olomi area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The suspected internet fraudsters are identified as Lamidi Qudus, Adegboyega Adebayo, Aremu Ridwan, Afuye Emmanuel, Lamidi Abiola, Usman Olawale and Ajibola Hammed.
They were said to have been arrested following intelligence received from concerned members of the public on their alleged criminal activities.
Items recovered from them include two vehicles, mobile devices and laptops.
