EFCC Records 11 Convictions in one Day as Student Jailed over $15,000 Internet Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Ibadan zonal office on Monday, December 7, 2020 secured 11 convictions before Justice Mohammed Abubakar, Justice Ibrahim Watilat and Justice W.O Akanbi of the Federal High Court 1 and 2 Abeokuta as well as Oyo State High Court 2 Osogbo, Osun State respectively.
The convicts are: Tijesunimi Adedolapo Bakare, Oluwole Osholanke Paul Oluwajuwonlo, Adeniran Timileyin, Adebambo Festus Damilare, Olaiya Olamide Olagoke others are Baura Gbenga David, Manuel Obot, Babayanju Enoch Toluwani, Shoyola Joseph, Timehin Olusola Fehintola and Olwagbenga Mujeeb Ejikune
They all pleaded guilty to the lone-count charge of impersonation, separately filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.
Prosecution Counsel prayed the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Abubakar of Federal High Court 1 thereafter sentenced and convicted Adebambo, Adeniran and Oluwajuwonlo to 12 months imprisonment each; Joseph to 10 months jail term, Babayanju, Obot, Baura and Bakare were convicted and sentenced to four months imprisonment each while Olaiya was convicted and sentenced to two months imprisonment.
Justice Watilat of the Federal High Court 2 convicted and sentenced Fehintola to three months jail term with an option of N300,000 (Three Hundred thousand Naira) fine.
Similarly, Justice W.O Akanbi of Osun State High Court 2, Osogbo also convicted and sentenced Ejikunle to 24 months imprisonment. Ejikunle was found guilty of an amended charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code of Osun state, 2000.
The convicts are to forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and also restitute sundry sums to their respective victims.
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Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
8 December, 2020
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Student Jailed over $15, 000 Internet Fraud in Enugu
Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court, Enugu, Enugu State, on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, convicted and sentenced one Okoro Tochukwu Joseph to eight months imprisonment for impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of $15,000 (Fifteen Thousand US Dollars).
Joseph, a final year student of the Institute of Management Technology, (IMT) Enugu was prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
One of the five-count charges against him read, “That you, Okoro Tochukwu Joseph (alias Donald Wood), on the 11th day of March, 2020, in Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, while representing yourself to be Donald Wood, a financial investor in crypto currency, by means of a computer system, knowingly sent a message through your Hangout, knowing the same to be false, for the purpose of causing needless anxiety to Lisa Spitler and thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015.”
He pleaded guilty to the charges, upon his arraignment today, following which prosecution counsel, Henry Onyekachi Anasoh asked the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Aside the prison term, the convict is to restitute the sum of $15,000 (Fifteen Thousand US Dollars) to his victim, through the EFCC.
Joseph had impersonated Donald Woods and Kennedy Lordan and used pictures of white men to create fraudulent Hangout and Instagram accounts which he used to defraud an American woman, Lisa Spitler of the said sum.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
08 December, 2020
