A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Monday sentenced one Adegboye Joshua Oluyeyi to 29 years imprisonment over N2 million cyber fraud.
Oluyeyi was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 3, on a nine-count charge bordering on cybercrime.
EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, in a statement said Oluyeyi was convicted for hacking into the email account of one Florence Kentiobong and diverting N2 million into his account by replacing the account information of the victim, with his personal account details, causing the said payment to be made into the account of the convict, instead of the account of the original benefactor.
But the convict, Orilade said pleaded guilty to the charges and was accordingly convicted.
One of the counts, Orilade said, reads: “That you, Adegboye Joshua Oluyeyi, aka Joshua Adex sometime in February 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did knowingly cause the loss of N2 million only property of Mike Simpson and meant for Florence Kentiobong by altering and inputting false data meant for the transfer of funds and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14 (2) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Section.”
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While delivering judgement, Justice Fatun Riman sentenced Oluyeyi to three years in prison on count one to count eight, and five years on count nine, to run concurrently from the date of arrest being July 21, 2018.
The trial judge further ruled: “I have considered that the accused person has no criminal record. I hereby sentence the accused as follows:
“Count one: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N50,000.
“Count two: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N50,000. The accused shall pay N500,000 to the victim as restitution;
“Count three: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N20,000.
“Count four: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N20,000. The accused shall pay N500,000 to the victim as restitution.
“Count five: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N20,000.
“Count six: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N20,000. The accused shall pay the sum of N500,000 to the victim as restitution; Count seven: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N20,000.
“Count eight: three years imprisonment or pay a fine of N20,000. The accused shall pay N500,000 to the victim as restitution; Count nine: five years imprisonment or pay a fine of N100,000. The accused shall pay the sum of N2 million involved to the victim.”
Also, court further ordered that the convict be remanded in prison, pending when he pays the restituted sum to the victim, and either pays the cumulative fine of N320,000 (Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) or serve the jail term.
In a related development, Justice Riman also convicted and sentenced one Ukana Iramofu to two years in prison with an option of a fine of N50,000, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC for his involvement in a N464,500 fraud.
The charge against him, it was learnt, read: “That you, Ukana Iramofu (aka Philip Akande) on or about August 2018 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did fraudulently send electronic message to Akaninyene Offiong Asuquo under the pretence that you have 2005 Lexus ES330 and an Apple Laptop computer for sale which he paid to you, the sum of N464,500 (Four Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) only which pretence you knew to be false in order to gain advantage from same falsehood and thereby committed an offence contrary to provisions of Section 14 (2) of the CyberCrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.”
In convicting him, it was gathered that Justice Riman further ordered Iramofu to pay the sum of N464,500 to the victim as restitution.
The convict was also remanded in prison, pending when he restitutes the said sum.
