A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Monday sentenced a student, Akanbi Akorede Afeez, and three others for internet fraud in separate rulings.
Justice Suleiman Akanbi handed Afeez a two-year jail term after finding him guilty of impersonating a white woman named "Erdis" to defraud an unsuspecting victim, Dinero Enviado, of $551 in gift cards.
The offense violated Sections 321 and 324 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria. The court ordered Afeez to forfeit his iPhone 14 Pro Max and HP laptop used in the crime to the federal government.
In addition to his sentence, he is required to sweep and clean the premises of the Kwara State High Court for two weeks as part of his punishment.
The charge sheet read: “That you, Akanbi Akorede Afeez (aka Erdis) between February 2023 or thereabout in Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly induced one Dinero Enviado, a white man, to send you gift cards worth the sum of $551 US dollars when you knowingly pretended and represented yourself to be one Erdis, a white lady who is in a romantic relationship with him and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 321 and Section 324 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.”
In a separate session on the same day, Justice Haleema Saleeman convicted three individuals—Oladejo Ibrahim Abiodun, Yusuf Adewale Gbadeyan, and Adeoye David Oluwatimileyin—on charges of internet fraud.
The trio, prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), pleaded guilty to the charges.
Abiodun, who pretended to be in a romantic relationship to defraud his victim, was sentenced to one year imprisonment or a fine of N400,000. The court ordered him to forfeit an iPhone 13 Pro and $100 to the federal government and to pay $400 in restitution to his victim.
Gbadeyan was sentenced to six months imprisonment or a fine of N300,000. The court also directed the forfeiture of 300 Canadian dollars, an iPhone 12, and a Samsung phone used in his fraudulent activities.
Oluwatimileyin, found guilty of impersonating a person named "Sierra" to defraud a victim of $300, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment or a fine of N250,000. He was also ordered to forfeit an iPhone 12 and $300 recovered at the time of his arrest.
During the proceedings, EFCC prosecutors presented
evidence including extra-judicial statements, witness testimonies, and items
recovered from the convicts.
The judges, satisfied with the evidence, issued the convictions and emphasized the need for restitution to victims. The EFCC reiterated its commitment to tackling cybercrime and warned others engaged in fraudulent activities of severe legal consequences.
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