Justices Ladiran Akintola, O.S. Adeyemi, K.B.
Olawoyin, G.A. Sunmonu of the Oyo State High Court and Justice Nkeonye Maha of
the Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan. Oyo State, have convicted and
sentenced thirty-two persons to prison for fraud.
They were prosecuted by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on separate one-count
charges bordering on impersonation, internet-related offences.
The convicts are: Kolade Olayinka Akinlosotu,
Adetoro Kolawole Jelili, Olatunji Opeyemi Matthew, Ehifowoju Kehinde Emmanuel,
Basit Akorede Mustapha, Banjoko Olamide Oriyomi, Badmus Quazeem Damilola,
Ikumapayi Olalekan Babajide, Muili Olamilekan Sodiq, Odususi Yemi Michael,
Ashiru Adebola Ibrahim, Ayomide Olamide Ogidan, Fatusin Michael Abayomi,
Omotosho Oluwapelumi James, Adewale Ibikunle Abdullahi, Ismail Ibrahim Friday,
Adedara Ademola Ayobami and Ajayi Elijah Oladimeji.
Others are: Oladele Salam, Olasunkanmi Kadril Yakub,
Ayomide Hassan Omolade, Ojo Oluwanifemi Emmanuel, Temitope Gbenga Agbaminoja,
Oyewale Timileyin Ayodeji, Olajide Lekan Peter, Obaoye Samuel Olaoluwa, Ajayi
Okiki Michael, Mustapha Quadri Ayinde, Oluwatimilehin Noah Ojo, Oluwajana Segun
Joseph, Oluwashina Gbenga Adeniyi and Kolawole Ojukotimi Adebesin.
The charge against Akinlosotu reads: “That you, Kolade
Olayinka Akinlosotu sometime in May, 2023 at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud one Orlando
Mejia, did falsely represent yourself as one Amanda Smith, a woman from Texas,
United States of America through Facebook with account name Amanda Smith,
thereby committed an offence of impersonation, contrary to Section 484 of
the Criminal Code Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
They all pleaded “guilty” when the charges were
read to them, upon which prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye,
Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Sanusi Galadanchi, Lanre Suleiman, Mabas
Mabur, Shamsuddeen Bashir, David Olubode and A.M. Aliyu prayed the court
to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Consequently, Justice Olawoyin convicted and sentenced
Peter to two years imprisonment or to pay N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred
Thousand Naira) fine, and Ayodeji to one year imprisonment
or to pay N250, 000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
Naira) fine, while Justice Maha convicted and
sentenced Abayomi to one year imprisonment or to pay N250,
000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fine.
Justice Adeyemi on her part, convicted and sentenced
Oriyomi and Ibrahim to one year imprisonment each without option of fine.
Ayobami, Abdullahi and Ayinde bagged six months community service each, without
an option of fine. She convicted and sentenced Ojo, Mustapha and Adebesin
to three months community service each without option of fine.
Justice Akintola convicted and slammed Oladimeji,
Joseph and Olaoluwa with one year jail term each or to pay a fine of N50,
000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira, N40, 000.00 (Forty Thousand Naira) and N150, 000.
00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) respectively.
He slammed Adeniyi with six months jail term
or to pay N150, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand
Naira) fine, while Jelili bagged six months community service or to pay
N150, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fine. Michael and
Olamide got three months jail term each or to pay N50, 000.00 (Fifty
Thousand Naira) fine, each.
Also convicted and sentenced by Justice Akintola were
Kehinde Emmanuel, Babajide, Sodiq, James, Salam, Yakub, Omolade, Oluwanifemi
Emmanuel, Agbaminoja, Okiki Michael and Friday who bagged three months
of community service each or to pay N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira),
N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira), N75, 000.00 (Seventy-five Thousand Naira),
N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira), N75, 000.00 (Seventy-five Thousand Naira),
N40, 000.00 (Forty Thousand Naira), N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira), N40,
000.00 (Forty Thousand Naira), N40, 000.00 (Forty Thousand Naira), N30, 000.00
(Thirty Thousand Naira) and N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) respectively.
Furthermore, Justice Akintola convicted and
sentenced Matthew and Damilola to a fine of N30, 000.00 (Thirty
Thousand Naira) and N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) respectively.
Justice Sunmonu convicted and sentenced Akinlosotu to
three months community service without an option of fine.
Besides their sentences, all the convicts forfeited
items recovered from them to the federal
government. These include money, phones and laptop
computers. Others are a green-coloured Toyota Camry 2205 model
car with registration number: EPE – 232 – GU recovered from Oriyomi,
a wine-coloured Toyota Camry vehicle with registration number: MUS – 84 –
GU recovered from Ibrahim, a red-coloured Toyota Corolla car with chassis
number: 2T1BU4EE3AC495391, recovered from
Olaoluwa, a black-coloured Toyota Camry car with registration
number: MUS – 683 – HJ, recovered from Adeniyi
and a golden-coloured Toyota Camry vehicle with chassis number:
411BE46KX8U203665 recovered from Abdullahi.
In addition, the court ordered that Ayobami pay the
sum of N2.5million (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) as
restitution to his victim.
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