Court Jails Internet Fraudster, Forfeits Properties To Govt

Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced an internet fraudster, Fatayi Inu-Umoru, to one year in prison after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of conspiracy, identity theft/impersonation, and unlawful possession of illicit properties.

Justice Osiagor also ordered the forfeiture of a fully detached four-bedroom duplex located at Block E, Plot 6(B) in Favoured Heights Estates, Lekki, Lagos, and a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G63 valued at N160 million, among other illicit assets seized from the convict by the federal government.

Inu-Umoru, also known as Amanosi Musa Fatayi, initially pleaded not guilty to the charge but later changed it after entering into a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Based on the plea deal, the EFCC amended the original 12-count charge against the convict and re-arraigned him on just two counts.

As part of his plea agreement, the judge sentenced him to six months for each count, with an option of a fine of N100,000. Both the prison term and the fine will run concurrently.

During the arraignment, the prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, informed the court that Inu-Umoru and an accomplice, Uche Musa Inu-Umoru, who is currently at large, committed the offences between March 2023 and July 2025 in Lagos State.

Buhari-Bala told the judge that the convict was conspiring to disguise illicit gains from his unlawful activities, specifically related to a fully detached four-bedroom duplex in Lekki, Lagos, thus committing an offence under the Money Laundering Act.

She also alleged that the convict disguised the origins of his illicit gains to purchase a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G63 worth N160 million, also an offence under the Money Laundering Act.

The prosecutor further claimed that the convict fraudulently impersonated a white woman named Diana Lee in July 2025 with the intent to gain an advantage for his employer, which violates the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act of 2015.

Buhari-Bala stated that offences were contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.