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Kwara court sends two fraudsters to prison for cyber fraud
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of two persons charged for offence of cheating by personation and internet-related fraud offences before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
The convicts are Idowu Aiyedogbon and Okunlola Michael Blessing. The duo, who were prosecuted on separate charges by the EFCC, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, called witnesses who are operatives of the Commission to establish the culpability of the defendants in the crime. He tendered several evidence including the confessional statements of the defendants, fraudulent messages printed from their phones as well as the device used in perpetrating the crime, which were admitted in evidence by the court.
Akoja, thereafter urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants based on their guilty plea, testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and exhibits tendered.
In his judgment on Thursday, October 28, 2021, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Aiyedogbon to six months imprisonment on counts one and two, to run concurrently with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) on each count.
The judge also ordered that the convict’s Iphone 11 pro max, Apple Macbook Laptop which were used as instrumentality of the crime and the sum of $1,040 (One Thousand and Forty United States Dollars) which he benefited from the unlawful activities be forfeited to Federal Government.
Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Blessing to six months imprisonment, which would be suspended. The Judge ordered that the convict to forfeit his iPhone 12 pro max, infinix hot 8, and LG laptop to the Federal Government.
