Court convicts four more internet fraudsters arrested at Obasanjo library complex

The federal high court sitting in Lagos has convicted four more internet fraudsters arrested during a sting operation by officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a hotel within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

Last week, EFCC operatives arrested 93 people suspected to be involved in internet fraud at a hotel within the precincts of the library.

Following the arrest, seven of the suspects were convicted separately for cybercrime-related offences.

In two separate judgements on Tuesday, Dehinde Dipeolu, the presiding judge, convicted and sentenced Olugbodi Adefolarin Pamilerin, Adenuga Ezekiel Oluwaseyi, Yusuf Ramon and Ganiyu Ibrahim for internet fraud.

In the first ruling, Pamilerin and Oluwaseyi pleaded guilty to charges of impersonation, identity fraud, and retention of proceeds of crime.

Pamilerin admitted to fraudulently posing as “Emily Eddins” on Telegram and was found to have retained $160 obtained through deceit.

Franklin Ofoma, the EFCC prosecutor, presented evidence, including Pamilerin’s iPhone 14 and a N150,000 bank draft as restitution.

The judge sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment or an option of a N500,000 fine and ordered the forfeiture of the iPhone to the federal government.

“That you, Olugbodi Adefolarin Pamilerin (Male) sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, retained in your control the total sum of $160USD which were proceeds of criminal conduct, deceitfully obtained from unsuspecting members of the public, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment etc) Act No: 4 of 2004,” the charge against Pamilerin reads.

Oluwaseyi also pleaded guilty to impersonating a woman on Gmail accounts and retaining $1,000 from fraudulent activities.

Evidence tendered against him includes two iPhones (iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 6S), a N1 million bank draft, and forensic investigation reports.

Oluwaseyi was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment or an option of a N2 million fine, with the confiscation of his devices and the bank draft.

“That you, Adenuga Ezekiel Oluwaseyi (Male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently held out yourself as a lady in your gmail accounts, [email protected] and [email protected] to unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015,” the charge against him reads.

“That you, Adenuga Ezekiel Oluwaseyi (Male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, retained in your control the total sum of $1000USD which were proceeds of criminal conduct, deceitfully obtained from unsuspecting members of the public, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment etc) Act No. 4 of 2004.”

In the other judgement, Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Ramon and Ibrahim for impersonation, identity and internet fraud.

They both pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them.

S.M. Yabo, the prosecution counsel, called two investigative officers, Chukwu Christian and Izuchukwu Collins, to review the facts of the cases.

Yabo, thereafter, sought to tender, in evidence, the extrajudicial statements of the defendants; Ramon’s iPhone XX and iPhone XX Max; Ibrahim’s iPhone 13; the N200,000 bank draft in restitution made by Ibrahim; as well as the forensic investigation documents printed from their mobile devices.

They were all admitted as exhibits by the court.

The judge convicted and sentenced Ramon to one month imprisonment from the day of his arrest, with the option of a fine of N200,000, and ordered that the mobile devices recovered from him be forfeited to the federal government.

The judge also convicted and sentenced Ibrahim, who confessed to having benefited from the sum of $150 from his criminal activities, to one month’s imprisonment, with the option of a fine of N200,000.

He ordered that the iPhone 13 recovered from him as well as the sum of N200,000 in bank drafts be forfeited to the federal government.