Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has convicted and sentenced a truck driver, Olamilekan Basit, to one year imprisonment over offences bordering on possession of solid minerals without lawful authority.

Olamilekan was arrested for unlawfully transporting 30 tons of assorted solid minerals without proper authorisation at Balla, in Asa Local Government Area of the State.

The Judge also convicted and sentenced a 25-year-old professional photographer, Oyerinde Gbolahan Sodiq, to 300 hours community service at five hours per day for offences bordering on cybercrime.

Also convicted by the same court are Ibrahim Ismail Aranfajo, a phone seller, and one Maruf Ridwan Babawale, who stood trial before Justice Haleema Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

The conviction and sentencing of the defendants followed their arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on separate charge.

Specifically, the charge against Olamilekan reads:

“That you, Olamilekan Basit on or about the 11th Day of June 2024. at Balla, ASA Local Government Area of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, came into possession of minerals to wit: Thirty tons of minerals, conveyed in a Truck, with offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 134 (b) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007”

Similarly, particulars of the charge against Oyerinde read:

“That you, OYERINDE GBOLAHAN SODIQ, on or about the the 6th day of August 2024 to 17th February 2025 in Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudently impersonated one VICKIE MARY with intent to gain advantage for yourself from I’ve Canner, whom you chatted with via your telegram Account number +12136826219, and did gain $550; you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22 (2) (I) of the cybercrime (prohibition prevention,Etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b)(IV) of the same Act”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.

Following their pleas, counsels representing the EFCC, Rashidat Alao and Mustapha Kaigama reviewed the facts of the cases by calling witnesses who narrated the circumstances that led to the arrest of the defendants and tendered exhibits recovered from them in evidence.

The prosecutors, thereafter urged the court to consider the facts of the cases and the unchallenged exhibits tendered to convict the defendants as charged.

The Justices, in delivering their judgements held that the prosecution had established a prima-facie case against the defendants to warrant their conviction.

Justice Awogboro sentenced Olamilekan (the truck driver) to a jail term of one year imprisonment with option of N1million. According to the trial judge, the convict is to pay the sum of N5million as royalty to the Federal Government through the EFCC’s recovery account

The Judge also sentenced Oyerinde to 300 hours community service at five hours per day without an option of fine. The court ordered that, the sum $300 (Three Hundred United States Dollars) that he benefited from the unlawful activities and the convict’s iphone 12 promax be forfeited to the Federal Government. Additionally, Oyerinde was ordered to pay the remaining balance of $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars) of the sum he benefited or be prepared to spend two months imprisonment after the completion of his community service.

Similarly, the Judge sentenced Ibrahim to 300 hours community service at five hours per day without an option of fine. One iphone 6x recovered from him at the point of arrest was forfeited to the Federal Government.

In the same vein, Justice Saleeman sentenced Maruf to six months imprisonment with option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) while his iphone 11 pro, and the sum of $300 (Three Hundred United States Dollars) he restituted were forfeited to the Federal Government.

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