Six Land in Jail for Cybercrime in Kwara
By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Six persons charged for various offences bordering on cybercrime before Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court and Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been sent to various jail terms.
The Convicts are Akibu Waris Oluwadamilola; Animasahaun Gbolahan Ahmed; Hammed Ibrahim Opeyemi; Ibitowa Toheeb Abolayo; Salaudeen Muritala and Olagoke Hammed.
The EFCC prosecuted five of the defendants before Justice Sani, while only Olagoke was tried before Justice Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
The defendants, who were arraigned on separate charges before the courts pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Following their pleas, counsel to the EFCC in the matter, Aliyu Adebayo, Sesan Ola, Andrew Akoja and Rasheedat Alao, reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered extra-judicial statements of the defendants, phones, laptops, cars and fraudulent messages printed from their device, which were admitted in evidence.
The counsel urged the court to consider the proof of evidence, plea of guilt entered by the defendants and hold that the prosecution had established prima-facie case against the defendants by convicting them as charged.
In their separate judgments, Justice Sani and Akinpelu agreed that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Akibu to one-year imprisonment each on count one and two, which would run concurrently with option of fine of N200,000 on each count. The Judge ordered that one Toyota Camry Car, iphone 6 plus, hp laptop and monies which were proceeds of the illegal activities in his bank accounts be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Judge sentenced Animashaun to three-year imprisonment on count one with option of fine of N59,900 and three-year imprisonment on count two with option of fine of N584,700. The Court ordered that one iphone 12 which was used to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Hammed bagged a prison term of one-year each on counts one, two and three which would run concurrently with option of fine of N100,000 on each count. The convict was ordered to raise the sum of $130 (One Hundred and Thirty Dollars) as restitution, while his iphone X would be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In the same vein, Justice Sani sentenced Ibitowa to one-year imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000. The judge ordered the forfeiture of one iphone x used by the convict to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.
The judge sentenced Salaudeen to one-year imprisonment each on counts one and two with option of fine of N100,000 on each count. The court ordered the forfeiture of one Toyota Camry Car and iphone 11 promax to the Federal Government.
For Olagoke, Justice Akinpelu pronounced a prison term of six years each on counts one and two with option of fine of N150,000 on each count. The judge also ordered that one Honda Accord Car, iphone 11 promax and the sum of N1,913,432.75 domiciled in the convict’s Keystone bank account be forfeited to the Federal Government.