Fraudster Jailed for 20 Years in Uyo

Fraudster Jailed for 20 Years in Uyo

The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Nsikan Solomon Ibanga before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Ibanga, who specialized in romance scam, began his journey to jail on July 5, 2018 when the Commission received a petition from one Rosemary Monday Etim alleging that she was defrauded by the defendant.

Investigations into the matter showed that the defendant had on two occasions accessed the victim’s bank account and diverted N110, 000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) into his personal account, without her consent.

According to the petitioner, she realized that she had been duped, when she accessed her account and discovered that the balance was below what she had left in the account. The victim said she requested a bank statement that clearly showed the defendant as the recipient of the money that was fraudulently removed from her account.

Ibanga was subsequently arrested on January 31, 2019 and arraigned on February 8, 2019. He pleaded “not guilty”, as his trial immediately commenced with the prosecution counsel, Nwandu Ukoha, presenting two witnesses and tendering various documents which were admitted in evidence, including a bank account statement, belonging to the victim.

The prosecution closed its case on February 12, 2020.

Delivering judgment, the court held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted Ibanga on the four counts.

He was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently from the date of his arrest.

One of the counts reads: “That you Nsikan Solomon Ibanga on or about June 2018 at Uyo within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did fraudulently make use of the electronic password to impersonate on Rose Monday Etim to gain advantage from same by transferring the sum of N100,000.00 ( One hundred thousand naira, only) from Zenith bank account 2083822038 of Rose Monday Etim to your own Zenith account 2086134204 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (3) (a) (b) (c) Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (1) of the same Act”.
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EFCC Secures Conviction of Two Fraudsters in Ibadan

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Command on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 secured the conviction and sentencing of Ogundijo Olamilekan and Adeniran Tijesunimi on one count charge each before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court and Justice Olajumoke Aiki of the State High Court both sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State for their involvement in cybercrime.

The charge against Tijesunmi reads: “that you, Adeniran Tijesunmi ‘M’ sometime in the year 2020, in Oyo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained Gift Cards worth the sum of $3,000USD (Three Thousand United States of America Dollars) from one Jerry Wright when you falsely represented to him via your Google Hangout, that you are a white female American with the name Elizabeth Canahan, and other pretences, which pretence you knew to be false and contravenes Section 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”

Charge against Olamilekan reads: “That you, Ogundijo Olamilekan Iyanu (a.k.a Tasha) sometime in March, 2020, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself did impersonate one Tasha, a female, the pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015.”

They pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against them.

Consequently, the prosecution counsel, Oluwatoyin Owodunni and Mabas Mabur reviewed the facts of the cases and urged the courts to convict and sentence them as charged.

Justice Uche Agomoh convicted and sentenced Olamilekan to nine months imprisonment and Tijesunmi to seven months jail term.

Furthermore, the court ordered Olamilekan to restitute the sum of $400USD (Four Hundred United States Dollars), and forfeit one Acer Laptop, one iPhone X and one Techno mobile phones to the Federal government of Nigeria.

Tijesunmi was ordered to pay the sum of $550USD (Five Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) in restitution and forfeit one black 2005 Model Honda Accord car, one iPhone X, one Infinix Smartphone and one gold ring to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity
10 March, 2022