4 internet fraudsters bag 18 months imprisonment in Ibadan

Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Friday sentenced four internet fraudsters to various jail terms, totalling 18 months.

Agomoh, also ordered each of the convicts to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour, after completing their jail terms.

The convicts are: Samuel Olatunji, Joshua Adeyemi, Ekelechukwu Ugwu and Adedeji Bashir.

Olatunji, Ugwu and Bashir, were each sentenced to four months imprisonment, while Adeyemi was jailed six months.

The convicts had entered a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to a count amended charge instituted against them.

Agomoh, assessing the spate of internet related crimes among youths in the society, in her four separate judgments, said there was no reason for youths to take to crimes in the country.

According to her, that there is no work is not an excuse for our youths to go into cybercrimes, and now that you are losing all, after being caught, so, what have you gained?

“You are getting minimum sentences now, because you did not have any previous record of conviction.

“However, you would be given the maximum conviction when next you are caught for any crime.

“My advice to you is to take a proper examination of yourselves and be of good conduct, especially as political activities will soon start.

“After completing your jail terms, each of you must write and sign an undertaking that you would never partake in any form of criminal activities again,” Agomoh ordered.

Earlier, the EFCC Counsel, Mr Mabas Maburb, told the court that Olatunji, Adeyemi, Ugwu and Bashir, were arrested at different locations in Ogun and Oyo States respectively, between February and March.

Maburb said that the convicts were apprehended based on tipoff from concerned Nigerians that they were defrauding unsuspecting foreigners.

The prosecutor also said that each of the convicts was found operating fictitious email addresses, through which they impersonated and defrauded some U.S citizens.

He said that Olatunji was found in possession of many incriminating documents, linking him with fraud, while Adeyemi was found in possession of 500 dollars and an I-phone.

According to her, one thousand dollars and two smart phones were confiscated from Ugu, while Bashir restituted a cash of 650 dollars and two smart phones.

Maburb said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 22B (2) of the Cyber Crime Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015.