- Safiu Kehinde
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and jailed four internet fraudsters over impersonation and cyber crimes.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the statement, the convicts namely Arowosola Oluwadamilola, Oluwasegun Ayomide, Opeyemi Agboola, and Akinade Olamilekan, were arraigned before before Justice Daniel Osiagor by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1.
They were arraigned on one-count separate charges of fraudulently impersonating foreign nationals.
One of the charges reads: “That you, AROWOSOLA JULIUS OLUWADAMILOLA, sometime in May 2025 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Mary Alice by holding yourself out as such to unsuspecting victims with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”
However, rhey each pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsels, H.U. Kofarnaisa and Fanen Anum, respectively, tendered the defendants’ extrajudicial statements, devices and the vehicle recovered from Agboola through the investigating officers, Welekwe Bright Chile, Lawal Hamza, Sada Sa’id Sani and M.M Abdulrahman.
They were all admitted as exhibits by the court.
In his ruling, Justice Osiagor convicted and sentenced Oluwadamilola to five years imprisonment, with an option of fine of N500,000 and a seven-day community service.
While Ayomide bagged three years imprisonment, with an option of fine in the sum of N300,000 and a seven-day community service, Agboola was sentenced to a fine of N100,000, and his Mercedes C300 forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Similarly, Olamilekan was sentenced to three years imprisonment, with an option of fine of N300,000.
All the devices recovered from the convicts were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.