A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday convicted and sentenced six persons over offences bordering on cybercrime, impersonation and other internet-related fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had prosecuted and secured the conviction of Adeshina Wasiu, a welder based in Offa; Akorede Hammed, who operates a barbing salon in Offa, and Komolafe David from Ilesha East Local Government Area of Osun State.
The others were Fatimehin Kayode from Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State; Adetoye Timilehin from Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State, and Adebayo Ridwan from Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.
The convicts who were prosecuted on separate charges by the anti-graft agency before Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Following their guilty pleas, Innocent Mbachie, Aliyu Adebayo, and Rasheedat Alao, who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the EFCC tendered from the bar iPhones, laptop, extra-judicial statements of the defendants and several incriminating documents printed out of their devices and were admitted in evidence after defence counsels raised no objection to the admissibility of the exhibits.
The prosecuting counsels thereafter urged the court to convict them as charged.
In his judgement on the cases, Justice Sani said the prosecution had successfully established the cases against the defendants and pronounced each of them guilty of their respective charges.
The judge sentenced Wasiu to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000 and ordered that the iPhone 11 promax, which the convict used to perpetrate the crime, as well as the sum of $50, which he raised as restitution, be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The court also sentenced Hammed to six months imprisonment with the option of a fine of N100,000 while the convict was ordered to forfeit the iPhone S plus which he used to perpetrate the crime and to also restitute his victim the sum of $100.
In the same vein, Justice Sani sentenced Komolafe to six months imprisonment on each of the three counts against him with the option of a fine of N50,000, only on each of the offences.
The sentences are to run concurrently while the total sum of N150,000 would be paid if the convicts prefer the option of a fine.
The judge sentenced Fatimehin to a prison term of six months with the option of a fine of N50,000 Only with the convict to restitute the sum of $200, which he benefited from his unlawful activities and also forfeit his iPhone 6S used to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.
Adetoye however bagged six months imprisonment on each of the two counts preferred against him with an option of a fine of N200,000 Only on each count.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone X and the sum of $750 which he raised as restitution to the Federal Government.
Justice Sani equally sentenced Adebayo to six months imprisonment with the option of a fine of N100,000 Only.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of one Phone XR which the convict used to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.
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