The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, October 13, 2023 secured conviction of five persons over Internet fraud related offences before Justice Adenike Akinpelu and Mahmoud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin.
The convicts are Oyedepo Olamilekan Benjamin from Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Suleiman Saheed Olayinka from Ilorin in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, Fakeye Tolulope Emmanuel from Ila-Orangun in Osun State, Great Ukueni from Jesse Local Government Area of Delta State and Adeshina Joseph Oluwaseun from Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
The defendants who were prosecuted on separate counts before the Justices pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Upon the guilty pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Andrew Akoja, Mustapha Kaigama and Isabel Adeniran narrated the circumstances that led to the arrest of the defendants.
They urged the court to consider the plea of the defendants, the extra judicial statements and all the exhibits tendered to convict the defendants as charged.
Justice Akinpelu in her judgment sentenced Oyedepo to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and ordered the forfeiture of one Apple Iphone X; Hp laptop and the sum of $457 (Four Hundred and Fifty-Seven United States Dollars) benefited from the unlawful activities to the Federal Government.
The Judge also sentenced Suleiman to six months imprisonment with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and ordered that one Samsung A03 phone recovered from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Akinpelu equally sentenced Fakeye to six months imprisonment on count 1 and 2 with option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) on each count and ordered that the sum of $400 (Four Hundred United States Dollars), one phone and hp laptop belonging to the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government.
On the other hand, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Great to six months imprisonment which is to be suspended and ordered the forfeiture of one Dell Laptop used as instrument of crime by the convict.
The court also sentenced Adesina to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and ordered the forfeiture of one iphone 13 promax and sum of $250 (Two Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) recovered from the convict.
