Court convicts four internet fraudsters arrested at Obasanjo library complex

A federal high court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted four men for cybercrime-related offences.

The four men –Isaac Akinwale, Ibrahim Olatunji, Habeeb Oshundairo and Bisiriyu Abiodun — were among 93 people arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday at a hotel within the precincts of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

According to the EFCC, “upon profiling, almost all the suspects arrested have been indicted for alleged offences bordering on impersonation, identity and internet fraud”.

At the court session on Friday, the four suspects pleaded guilty to the charges upon arraignment.

Umar Shuaibu, an operative of the EFCC, testified that Akinwale used a false female identity to run an online celebrity scam, defrauding a victim of $500.

The prosecution, led by Franklin Ofoma, tendered a 2007 Toyota Camry, a Galaxy phone, and a bank draft of N400,000 as exhibits.

Dehinde Dipeolu, the presiding judge, sentenced Akinwale to three months’ imprisonment or a N1 million fine.

The judge sentenced Olatunji to one month’s imprisonment or a N500,000 fine for a romance scam.

Oshundairo was sentenced to 30 days of community service, which includes carrying a banner reading: “Cybercrime Does Not Pay. Stay Away from Cybercrime”, after conviction on two counts of impersonation and retaining N600,000 in criminal proceeds.

Onunoye Olamilekan pleaded not guilty to charges of impersonating one “Nurse Becky” on Facebook and retaining $50 obtained through fraud.

His lawyer challenged the validity of the charge, arguing that the cited section of the Cybercrimes Act did not exist.

The judge ordered the remand of the defendant at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending trial on October 31.

Although the EFCC had filed charges against 23 suspected fraudsters, the court only accommodated four of the defendants.

Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said the arraignment of all the suspects would be done in batches.