The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, secured
the conviction and sentence of one Lawal Oluwadamilare Samuel before
Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi,
Lagos.
He was jailed after being arraigned on a one-count
charge bordering on cybercrime.
The charge reads: “That you, Lawal Oluwadamilare
Samuel (a.k.a Sandra Brooks), sometime in 2022 in Lagos, within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court and with intent to defraud over the
internet, wherein you represented and held out yourself on Google as
"Sandra Brooks, a white female from Virginia, USA, to one Keith with
intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to and punishable under Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition
etc.) Act, 2015.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against
him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel A.A.
Usman called on Muhammad Al-mustapha Bello, an operative of the EFCC, to review
the facts of the case.
Al-Mustapha Bello stated that Samuel was arrested on
May 16, 2025 at his hideout in the Command, Ipaja area of Lagos State by
operatives of the Commission during a raid, following intelligence received by
the Commission.
He also stated that the suspect created a fake
Facebook account with a female profile and represented himself as Sandra
Brooks, a female from Virginia, United States of America to one Keith based in
Illinois , USA, and that in that assumed character fraudulently obtained the
total sum of $700 (Seven Hundred Dollars) from the unsuspecting victim.
He said: “During the investigation, one Samsung Galaxy
S9, one HP laptop, one Samsung tab and a Mercedes Benz C300 2008 car were
recovered from him.
“He restituted the sum of N500( Five Hundred
Thousand Naira) via Zenith Bank.”
Usman, thereafter, sought to tender, in evidence, the
defendant’s extrajudicial statements, the Samsung Galaxy S9, HP laptop, Samsung
tab and forensic investigation documents print out, which were all
admitted as exhibits.
The defence counsel, Kehinde Sanni- Mutoshi,
prayed the court to “temper justice with mercy,” adding
that “he is a first-time offender, and he is very remorseful.”
Justice Dipeolu, thereafter, convicted and
sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment, with an option of fine of
N3,000,000.00 (Three Million Naira ).
Justice Dipeolu also ordered that the Samsung Galaxy
S9, HP laptop, Samsung tab, Mercedes Benz C300 2008 model and
N500,000.00 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre
began when he was arrested for internet-related crimes. He was charged to court
and jailed.
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