The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction and sentencing of the Director of Logistics of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti Chapter, Adeyemi Abiodun, to one-year imprisonment for internet-related fraud.
The Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Wednesday, said Abiodun was among the 40 persons convicted on separate one-count before four judges of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.
He said their offences bordered on impersonation, obtaining money under false pretence, obtaining property by false pretence and forgery contrary to Sections 419, 467, 484, 516 and 508 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
“The other convicts are Yekeen Azeez Ishola, Okeniyi Sanuel Akinniyi, Theophilus Ademola Bukola, Salami Mohammed Adetayo, Pelumi Ajayi Temiloluwa, Lawal Abdullateef Olalekan, Okusanwo Mayowa Daniel, Oluwole Oluwasegun Ayomide, Adedotun Omodele Yusuf, Monday Nnaemeka Samuel, Idowu Adeshina, Olowe Nifemi Ayomide, Adubu Olamiotan Sunday, Kehinde Olatunji Kehinde, Oguntuase Tope Francis, Elijah Isaac Wisdom, Ogbanaya Chukwu Chukwu, Adekola Adekunle, Odebode Temiloluwa Kehinde, Joseph Odunayo Clement, Andrew Adekunle Masika, Usman Mubarak Damilare, Isiaka Olumide Hammed, Uawu Osita Henry, Kareem Afeez Alabi and Ogunyemi Ayobami Samuel.
“Others include: Mimiola Victor Olamide, Adeeko Kolade Emmanuel, Egberongbe Adedayo Quam, Oyelaran Olayiwola Jeremiah, Hammed Rilwan Ishola, Adefowora Omotayo David, Adedeji Ibrahim Olamilekan, Emmanuel Timileyin Akinbowale, Michael Damola Olanrewaju, Ayanyemi Olaide Samuel, Boye Timilehin Emmanuel, Timileyin Ajibola Idowu and Azeez Tolulope Ayoade,” Uwujaren said
Abiodun was arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima while the 39 others were prosecuted before Justices Bayo Taiwo, Akintola Ladiran and Olusola Adetujoye, between August 15, 2022 and August 23, 2022.
The charge against Abiodun read in part, “That you, Adeyemi Israel Abiodun and Odaise Precious Abiola, aka Prezzy, at large, on or about March 30, 2022, at Ibadan, within the Ibadan Judicial Division, did conspire to forge various United States of America Banks Cheques and purport same to be genuine and thereby committed the offence of conspiracy to commit forgery contrary to Sections 516 and 467 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
Abiodun and others pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them.
In view of their guilty pleas, the prosecution counsels, Modupe Akinkoye, Oyelakin Oyediran, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Abdulrasheed Suleiman, Mabas Mabur and Samsuddeen Bashir, reviewed the facts of the cases, tendered confessional statements and documents recovered from the convicts as exhibits and urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
Consequently, Abiodun, Daniel and Ayomide were convicted and sentenced to one-year imprisonment each without the option of fine, while Akiniyi bagged three months jail term and six months community service.
Other defendants were convicted and sentenced to six months community service each.
Recall that Abiodun, a 200 level student of Economics and Development Studies, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, was arrested on March, 30, 2022, alongside 79 others for alleged internet fraud.
Investigations revealed that between July 2021 and March 2022, Abiodun benefited N195, 274, 331.00 as cumulative heist from cyber-fraud involving forgery of over 25 US banks cheques.
In another development, the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed the arrest of a man, Gazali Ado, 35, for posing as an operative of the commission on the Google map.
Uwujaren , in another statement, said Ado was apprehended following a petition by one Kenneth Nwarize, who alleged that the suspect defrauded him of N150,000 under the pretext that he was an operative of the commission.
The petitioner alleged that he came across the phone number of the suspect while searching for the EFCC on Google to lodge a complaint; adding that when he called the number, the suspect solicited for N150, 000 which was paid into the bank account of one Ibrahim Mohammed.
According to Uwujaren, Gazali was arrested alongside two others, Sanusi Abubakar Liman and Ibrahim Mohammed, adding that they would soon be arraigned in court.
