Justices Haleema Saleeman and Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, have convicted and sentenced six persons to jail for fraud.
The convicts are Akingbehin Oluwaseyi, Ajayi Olaoluwa, Samsom Ilesanmi, Quadri Lamidi, Kolawole Moses and Olatunji Olabisi.
They were prosecuted before the two separate courts by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on multiple charges that bordered on retention of proceeds of criminal activities, cheating, impersonation and internet fraud.
Oluwaseyi, a 25-year-old car dealer; Olaoluwa, Ilesanmi and Lamidi were dragged before Justice Saleeman while the duo of Moses and Olabisi were prosecuted before Justice Abdulgafar.
They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, following which prosecution counsel, Sesan Ola and Andrew Akoja reviewed the facts of the cases, presented witnesses and tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants.
The prosecutors also tendered in evidence items recovered from them at the point of arrest and the monetary proceeds of their unlawful activities.
Satisfied that the cases against them have been proven beyond every reasonable doubt, Justice Saleeman sentenced Oluwaseyi to one year imprisonment on count one or to pay a fine of million naira and also a one year imprisonment on count two or to pay a fine of N707,562.
In addition, he forfeited his two phones, being the tools of his crime and a Toyota Camry car, 2009 Model to the federal government.
The judge committed Olaoluwa to one year imprisonment or to pay a fine of N500,000 .
In addition he forfeited his iPhone 13 Promax, being the tool of his unlawful activities and the sum of $410 (Four Hundred and Ten United States Dollars) to the federal government.
The judge handed four months prison term to Ilesanmi or to pay a fine of N250,00.
In addition, he forfeited the sum of $150 and his two phones, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.
Lamidi got four months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N150,000 on count one; three months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N100,000 on count two and two months prison term or to pay a fine of N50,000. The sentences run concurrently.
In addition, he forfeited the sum of €325 , $150 Canadian dollars and the two phones being instruments of his crime to the federal government.
Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Moses to three months suspended sentence on Counts One and Two. In addition, he forfeited the sum of N330,000 and iPhone 12 Promax, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.
The judge ordered Olabisi to pay up $25 , being the balance of the restitution to be paid from the proceeds of his criminal activity.
In addition, he forfeited the sum of $70 and his iPhone XR, being the instrument of his criminal activities to the federal government.
A statement signed by the head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said all the convicts were arrested for internet fraud, charged to court and convicted accordingly.
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