2 Siblings,1 Other Jailed For Cybercrime

Justices Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin and Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin have convicted two siblings – Shekoni Taofeek and Shekoni Damilare, alongside Adegbe Thankgod for offences bordering on cybercrime and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities.

They were convicted after pleading guilty to two count-charges bordering on retention of proceeds of unlawful activities, based on their arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) .

While Taofeek and Damilare were convicted by Justice Yusuf, Thankgod was jailed by Justice Sani.

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.

Upon their pleas, counsels to the EFCC, Innocent Mbachie and Aliyu Adebayo, reviewed the facts of the cases and prayed the court to convict them accordingly.

Justice Yusuf, thereafter, convicted and sentenced Taofeek and Damilare to six months imprisonment each.

While Taofeek’s sentence was without an option of fine, Damilare was given an option of fine of N100,000.

Justice Sani also convicted and sentenced Thankgod to three years imprisonment on each of the two-count charge of cybercrime levelled against him by the EFCC.

The judge gave the convict an option of fine of N300,000 on count one, while no fine was awarded on count two.

In addition, the judge ordered the forfeiture of a landed property, one Toyota Camry car, an iphone 13 and Samsung phone used by the convict to commit the crime to the federal government.

The convicts were arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences.

Further investigations showed that Taofeek had the sum of N14, 606,100 in his bank account which he could not account for. Damilare also had the sum of N2,526,144.00 in his account, which he could not justify. They were prosecuted and convicted.