The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has secured the conviction of one Asaolu Femi Richard, an interior decorator from Iloffa in Oke-ero Local Government Area of Kwara State and two others for offences bordering on cybercrime.

The two others are Adeoye Abdulgafar Olashile from Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo State and Madiu Bayo Tajudeen from Kishi area of Oyo State.

The three convicts were prosecuted on separate charges before Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin.

The charge against Ashaolu reads: “That you, Asaolu Femi Richard (Alias: Marissa Hant) sometime in April 2023, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Marissa Hant, a white Transgender from Texas, United States of America with email account phemiolamde@gmail.com and in that guise induced one Nick Fansier, to send you $30 (Thirty Dollars) which you received via a gift card thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Law ”

The particulars of the charge against Madiu read: “That you, Adeoye Abdulgafar Olashile (Alias: Farmer Daughter), sometime between the month of November 2022 and April 2023, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Farmer Daughter, a white female with WhatsApp account number +2347081001435 and in that guise induced one Ronde Hill, to send you $450 ( Four Hundred and Fifty Dollars) which you did receive via cash app and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Law”

The charge against Adeoye reads:

“That you, Madiu Bayo Tajudeen (Alias: Sylvia), sometime between the month of November 2022 and March 2023, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did Cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Sylvia, a white Female, from Massachusetts, United States of America, with Telegram Account Number +2349046631330 and in that guise induced one William Kisam, to send you $600 (Six Hundred Dollars) which you did received via gift cards and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code law and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code law.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.

Following their 'guilty pleas', counsel to the EFCC, M. M Kaigama, led witnesses who are operatives of the Commission in evidence to review the facts of the cases. The witnesses narrated the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the defendants and tendered their extra-judicial statements, different brands of phones recovered from them at the point of arrest and the various sums of money, which the defendants brought as restitution and were admitted in evidence.

Kaigama, after the testimonies of the witnesses, urged the court to convict the defendants as charged.

Justice Yusuf in his judgment on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 said that he was convinced that the prosecution had proved the cases beyond reasonable doubt and pronounced the defendants guilty.

The Judge sentenced Asaolu to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only). He ordered that the Samsung S10 phone which he used to perpetrate the crime and the sum of $30 (Thirty USD) which he benefited from the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Justice Yusuf sentenced Adeoye to six months imprisonment with option of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only) fine. The convict was also ordered to forfeit his iPhone 13 Pro Max and the sum of $400 (Four Hundred United States Dollars) to the Federal Government.

Madiu bagged six months imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) while a Samsung S8 phone and HP laptop used as instruments of the crime and the sum of $600 (Six Hundred United States Dollars) which he benefited from the illegal activity were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.