Cybercrime: EFCC secures conviction of cinematographer, three others

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, secured the conviction of four persons including a 21-year-old Cinematographer, Abiodun Ayomide from Ikirun, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State for offences bordering on personation and internet fraud.

Others include Bello Damola Lateef from Ilorin, Kwara State; Azeez Ibrahim Olarewaju from Ona-ara Local Government Area of Oyo State and Aderoju Ridwan Kayode from Oshogbo, Osun State.

Abiodun and Bello were prosecuted on separate charges before Justice Adebayo Yusuf, same as Azeez and Aderoju before Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court sitting, Ilorin.

Count 2 of the charge against Abiodun reads: “That you, Abiodun Ayomide, sometime in January 2020 to December 2020 in Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did knowingly have under your control the sum of Seven Million, One Hundred and Ninety Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Seven Naira (N7,190,187) paid into your Access Bank account number 0108778482 which is reasonably suspected to be unlawfully obtained and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 319A of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under the same Law”.

The charge against Aderoju reads: “That you, Aderoju Ridwan Kayode, sometime between the month of August 2021 and August 2022, at Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly had under your control, the sum of N2,847,045 (Two Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand and Forty-Five Naira) being paid into your Guaranty Trust Bank, with Account Number 0658100735, reasonably suspected of having been unlawfully obtained and thereby committed an Offence contrary to and punishable under Section 319A of the Penal Code Law ”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.

Following their guilty pleas, Innocent Mbachie, Rashidat Alao and Isabel Adeniran who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the Commission reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered exhibits, which were admitted in evidence. They urged the Courts to hold that the prosecution had proved the essential ingredients of the cases to warrant the defendants’ conviction.

In his judgment, Justice Yusuf sentenced Abiodun to six months imprisonment on each of the four counts with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) on each count.

The judge ordered that one Toyota Camry, 2007 model; the sum of $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars) and N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) which the convict brought as restitution; HP laptop and iPhone 8 Plus be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Justice Yusuf equally sentenced Bello to six months imprisonment with an option of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only) fine. The court ordered that one iPhone 7 and HP laptop which were used to perpetrate the crime and the sum of $500 (Five Hundred United States Dollars) be forfeited to the Federal Government.

In the same vein, Justice Akinpelu sentenced Azeez to three months imprisonment with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) fine. The court ordered the convict to forfeit the sum of $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars) and one iPhone XR to the Federal Government.

Aderoju on the other hand bagged six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) fine. Justice Akinpelu ordered the convict to forfeit his Lexus ES 350 car, the sum of N403,000 (Four Hundred and Three Thousand Naira Only), iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone XR and HP laptop to the Federal Government.