The Ilorin branch of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully secured the conviction of six individuals for internet fraud-related offences. The convicts, identified as Idris Muhammed, Ismail Mustapha, Oyekola Odunayo, Anthony Stephen, Timilehin Adeniyi, and Olayiwola Ayomide Abdulmalik, were sentenced by Justices Sulaiman Akanbi and Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court.
According to Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, the convictions came after the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution, represented by Andrew Akoja and Victoria Igodo, presented evidence including the defendants’ extrajudicial statements, items seized during their arrest, and money obtained from their illegal activities.
One of the cases involved Ismail Mustapha, who was charged with defrauding a U.S. citizen by impersonating a person named “Myre Roddy” on TikTok and inducing the victim to send $500 in Apple gift cards. He was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option to pay a ₦100,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 11 Promax and $300 to the Federal Government.
Idris Muhammed received a two-year sentence with an option of ₦100,000 fine and forfeited his iPhone 13 and $300. Oyekola Odunayo was sentenced to one year imprisonment on the first count with an option of ₦100,000 fine, two years on the second count with a ₦200,000 fine, and two weeks community service on the third count with an additional ₦50,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $300 and ₦34,900 to the government.
Anthony Stephen was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of a ₦50,000 fine, and his iPhone 12 and $25 were forfeited. Justice Yusuf sentenced Timilehin Adeniyi and Olayiwola Ayomide Abdulmalik to six months imprisonment each, with an option to pay a ₦200,000 fine.
The court rulings mark another successful operation by the EFCC in its ongoing efforts to curb cybercrime in Nigeria.
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