Electrician, 10 others jailed for cybercrime in Kwara

By Muyideen Aliyu, Ilorin

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured convictions against eleven individuals for offences linked to internet fraud and cybercrime. The verdicts were delivered on Wednesday by the Federal High Court in Ilorin and the Kwara State High Court.

Among the convicts was 20-year-old electrician Mathew Stephen Yaba, who received a nine-month prison sentence without the option of a fine for personation and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities. Justice Abimbola Awogboro found Yaba guilty of retaining N7,384,750 through his Kuda Bank account and impersonating one Raleigh Jredd, offences punishable under Section 17 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.

Others convicted were Samuel Stephen Ayomide of Olamaboro Local Government, Kogi State; Bamidele Favour Olajide, a music producer from Ijumu, Kogi State; Isah Kadir from Dekina, Kogi State; Abdulrasaq Jubril, a car spare parts dealer from Ilorin South, Kwara State; Samuel Peter Juwon of Ayetoro, Kogi State; Omolaiye Stephen Benefit of Akoko Edo, Edo State; Kayode Emmanuel Opeyemi; Abdulrahim Lasisi of Okene, Kogi State; Ugwuadu Ikechukwu Michael of Owerri North, Imo State; and Moshood Abduljawad.

Except for Jubril, who was tried before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, the remaining defendants were prosecuted before Justice Awogboro. All eleven individuals pleaded guilty to the charges against them.

One of the charges detailed that Ayomide, using a Telegram account under the name "CPN Goat", misrepresented his ability to create credit bureau scores on Credit Privacy Numbers, defrauding one Faith Jackson of $922 in Bitcoin. This act contravened Section 14 (2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.

The EFCC, represented by prosecutors Aliyu Adebayo, Andrew Akoja and Omolade Ajibola, presented confessional statements, items seized during arrests, and restitution funds as evidence. The courts upheld the EFCC’s case, delivering guilty verdicts based on the defendants’ admissions and unchallenged evidence.

Justice Awogboro further ordered the forfeiture of Yaba’s iPhone 13 and N200,000 to the Federal Government, alongside his custodial sentence.