Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced two final year students of two tertiary institutions in Ilorin to various jail terms for offences bordering on cybercrime.
The convicts are Oyewale Wasiu Adetunji and Adebayo Ibrahim Abiodun, who are students of Kwara State University, KWASU, Molete and Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, respectively.
Also convicted alongside Oyewale and Adebayo was one Saheed Sikirullahi, who claimed to be a former student of Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin.
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC prosecuted the three convicts on separate charges.
The convicts during trial pleaded guilty to their charge.
Innocent Mbachie prosecuted for the EFCC in the case against Oyewale and Saheed, while Rasheedat Alao represented the Commission in the case against Adebayo.
The two counsels urged the court to adopt the plea bargain agreements and sentence the defendants.
Delivering judgment on the cases on Monday September 13, Justice Oyinloye said that, he took cognizance of the plea of guilt entered by the defendants, the exhibits tendered without objection by the defence and held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Consequently, the court sentenced Oyewale to one year imprisonment with option of fine of N500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira only). In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of his black Toyota Corolla Car with registration number RSH272BF ABUJA, which he acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. Also forfeited was the convict’s Purple Samsung S10 and Black iPhone XR, which he used as instruments in perpetrating the crime.
Similarly, Justice Oyinloye sentenced Adebayo to one year imprisonment with an option of N500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s Black Toyota Camry Car, 2007 model, with registration number FST 764 GT, which he acquired with proceeds of crime. Also forfeited to the Federal Government were the convict’s HP Pavilion Laptop and Gold Apple iPhone 11 Promax, which he used to perpetrate the crime. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the Manager’s Cheque of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) which the convict raised as restitution to his victims.
In a similar fashion, Saheed bagged one year imprisonment with option of fine of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only). In addition, the court ordered that the sum of $450 (Four Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) which he benefited from the crime as well as his iPhone 11 Promax be forfeited to the Federal Government.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
