EFCC: Nine Undergraduates, Graduates Convicted For Internet Fraud In Abeokuta

A total of nine internet fraudsters have bagged different jail terms in Ogun State for their involvement in internet-related frauds.

Their conviction was secured by the Ibadan Zonal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before two different judges of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.

Three of the convicts, Tobiloba Oni, Paul Oluwadamilare Odole and Michael Oluwaseun Jemiseye, were mandated to sign a pact with the EFCC to be of good behaviour and never to be involved in any form of economic and financial crimes within or outside the country

Also, they’re to always make themselves available for participation in subsequent anti-corruption campaigns of the Commission.

A statement issued on Tuesday by spokesman of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said two of the fraudsters, Toheeb Abdulrasheed and Chukwuebuka Isaac Dike were sentenced by Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday, June 8, 2020.

“Dike, who claimed to be a 100-level Biochemistry student of the Federal University of Agriculture, FUNAAB, was sentenced to three months in prison; while Abdulrasheed, a self-acclaimed graduate of Business Administration from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, Abeokuta, bagged four months,” the statement read.

“Their sentences followed the prayer of prosecution counsel, Abdulrasheed Suleiman for their conviction after they pleaded guilty to their respective amended one-count charge.

“Aside the prison sentences, the judge also ordered that Abdulrasheed restituted the sum of $600USD (Six Hundred United States Dollars) to his victim,  through the Federal Government of Nigeria, and to also forfeit his iPhone 6 to the Federal Government. Dike on the other hand,   was ordered to  restitute the sum of $500USD (Five Hundred United States Dollars) to his victim and ceded his Gold iPhone 11 Pro Max and Rose Gold Infinix Hot 5 to the Federal Government.”

The statement said Tobiloba Oni, Paul Oluwadamilare Odole and Michael Oluwaseun Jemiseye were sentenced on June 2, by Justice Ibrahim Watilat of the same Federal High Court, Abeokuta, having found them guilty of the criminal charges preferred against them by the EFCC Ibadan Zonal Office.

Oni, the statement revealed, was handed four months imprisonment; Jemiseye got three months with an option to pay N120,000 fine, while Odole got four months with same opinion of N120,000 fine.

“Apart from forfeiting all items recovered from them to the Federal Government, the convicts were mandated to sign a pact with the EFCC to be of good behaviour and never to be involved in any form of economic and financial crime within or outside the country and moreover, to always make themselves available for participation in subsequent anti-corruption campaigns of the Commission.

“Justice Watilat in the same vein, convicted three additional others for internet-related crimes. The convicts: Favour Chinueze Ekeh, Kolade Nwachukwu and Sultan Adeniji Egbede were handed three months imprisonment each with N100,000, N50,000 and N100,000 option of fine, respectively, which must be paid within two days of the sentence or else, the prison term would apply.”

Furthermore, one Rotimi Quadri Akinlolu, according to the statement, was also convicted by Justice Abubakar, of involvement in internet fraud. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment with effect from March 6 when he was arrested. Aside the jail term, he forfeited all items recovered from him to the Federal Government.