Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured the conviction of 11 persons for offences bordering on internet fraud and cybercrime.

Among the convicts is a 20-year-old electrician, Mathew Stephen Yaba, who was sentenced to nine months imprisonment without an option of fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin for offences bordering on personation and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities.

The judge found Yaba guilty of retaining control of the gross sum of N7,384,750.00 (Seven Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira Only) and also impersonation of one Raleigh Jredd. The offence is contrary and punishable under section 17 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.

Other convicts include Samuel Stephen Ayomide from Olamoboro Local Government Area of Kogi State; Bamidele Favour Olajide, a music producer from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State; Isah Kadir from Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State; Abdulrasaq Jubril, a car spare parts seller who hails from Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The others are Samuel Peter Juwon from Ayetoro, Kogi State; Omolaiye Stephen Benefit from Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State; Kayode Emmanuel Opeyemi, Abdulrahim Lasisi from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Ugwuadu Ikechukwu Michael from Oweri North Local Government Area of Imo State and Moshood Abduljawad.

All defendants, except Jubril who was tried before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, were prosecuted before Justice Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Ilorin.

Count 2 of the charge against Yaba reads: “That you, MATTHEW STEPHEN YABA sometime between the year 2022 and 2025, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, was found to have retained the control of the gross sum of N7,384,750.00(Seven Million, Three Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira) through your Kuda Bank account number 2046437307 which you knew to be proceed of criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17 (a) and (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004”

Similarly, the charge against Ayomide reads: “That you, SAMUEL STEPHEN AYOMIDE sometime in 2025, within the judicial division of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, sent electronic messages on your Telegram Account; CPN Goat, where you materially misrepresented facts that you specialise in creating credit bureaus scores on Credit privacy Number (CPN) under which reliance one faith Jackson was caused to suffer loss of $922 (Nine Hundred and Twenty -Two US Dollars) through Bitcoin and thereby committed an computer related fraud contrary to and punishable under Section 14 (2) of the cybercrime (prohibition prevention Etc) Act 2015”

When the charges were read to them, they all pleaded guilty to their respective charge.

Aliyu Adebayo, Andrew Akoja and Omolade Ajibola who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the Commission reviewed the facts of the cases through witnesses who are operatives of the EFCC. They tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants, items recovered from them at the point of arrest and various amount of money that the brought as restitution, which were all admitted in evidence.

The Justices in their separate judgments upheld the cases of the prosecution and pronounced the defendants guilty based on the admittance of guilt and the uncontroverted evidences placed before the courts.

Consequently, Justice Awogboro sentenced Yaba to nine months imprisonment without option of fine and ordered the final forfeiture of the convict’s iphone 13, and the sum of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only), which he restituted to the Federal Government.

On his part, Ayomide bagged nine months imprisonment without an option of fine. He would also forfeit the sum $535 (Five Hundred and Thirty-Five United States Dollars), part of what he benefited from his criminal activities and one iphone 16 to the Federal Government.

The judge slammed a jail term of six months imprisonment without option of fine on Olajide and ordered the forfeiture of his iphone X, Samsung A05 that was used as instrumentality of the crime and the sum of $50 (Fifty United States Dollars) that he benefited from the crime to the Federal Government.

For Kadiri, the sanction was a bit different as the court sentenced him to 300 hours community service at five hours per day with a forfeiture order of his infinix hot 10 light recovered from him to the Federal Government.

Furthermore, Justice Awogboro sentenced Juwon to 12 months imprisonment without option of fine, commencing from the date of his arrest and ordered the final forfeiture of his iphone 6, iphone XR, Iphone 13, HP Laptop and the sum of $500 (Five Hundred United States Dollars).

Benefit was handed a jail term of 9 months imprisonment without option of fine and would forfeit his phones and the sum of N1million, which he restituted to forfeited to the Federal Government.

Opeyemi was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment without option of fine and would also forfeit his phone and the sum of N500,000 to the Federal Government.

Lasisi, like Kadiri was sentenced to community service of 150 hours at five hours per day and would also forfeit his Samsung S9 to the Federal Government.

Michael and Abduljawad were sentenced to 12 and 6 months imprisonment, respectively without option of fine. However, the sum of N500,000 and $190 (One Hundred and Ninety United States Dollars) restituted by Michael and Abduljawad, respectively including the phones that they used as instrumentality of the crime were forfeited to the Federal Government.

In his own judgment, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Jubril to six months suspended sentence and ordered the final forfeiture of his iphone 12 and the sum of $180 (One Hundred and Eighty United States Dollars) that he brought as restitution. Additionally, he was ordered to pay the balance of $110 (One Hundred and Ten Dollars), part of what he benefited.