Court jails six for cybercrime in Kwara

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of the Ilorin Zonal Command secured the conviction of six persons charged with offenses bordering on cybercrime and fraud-related activities on Monday.

The convicts, who were prosecuted on separate charges, stood trial before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Ilorin, and Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court, also in Ilorin.

Trials took place before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Ilorin and Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. The defendants were prosecuted on separate counts.

Among the prisoners were Raheem Monsur, Rafiu Adisa, Abdulrahmon Abubakar, Owoeye Ezekiel, Idris Kayode, and Aransiola Stephen.

In a statement released to journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday and signed by EFCC chief of media and publicity Dele Oyewale, it was stated that their conviction brings the total number of 50 suspects—48 Kwara State University students and two Malete residents—who have been arrested during a sting operation by EFCC agents in the Ilorin Zonal Command for offenses related to Internet fraud, or “yahoo-yahoo,” to 24.

Aransiola was prosecuted on a one-count charge, which reads as follows:

“That you, Aransiola Oluwaseun Stephen in February 2024  in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction  of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Cindy Watson, a White female, based in United States of America, and in that guise induced one Randy Driskill to send you the sum of $350 (Three Hundred and Fifty Dollars) which you did receive via gift cards thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 324 of the same law.”

Owoeye was also tested on a lone count in the same spirit, which says:

“That you, Owoeye Adeyanju Ezekiel sometime in January 2024 at Ilorin, Kwara State within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Sara Beauty via your Instagram account: sara_lyn120 with intent to obtain from one Taylor Johnson and did obtain the sum of $80 (Eighty Dollars) through gift cards thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc.) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b) (iv) of the same Act.”

After being read their charges, the defendants, who had been arraigned on separate charges, entered a guilty plea.

Innocent Mbachie, Adebayo Aliyu, Charles Oni, and Rasheedat Alao, who represented the commission in the cases, examined the facts after the defendants entered “guilty pleas.” They then tendered the statements and objects taken from them at the point of arrest, which were admitted into evidence.

After reviewing the evidence presented to the courts and the defendant’s admission of guilt, the justices found the defendants guilty and imposed various prison sentences on them.

The courts also mandated that the Federal Government forfeit the phones and laptops that the convicted individuals used in the commission of their crimes as well as the money they brought as reparations.