Final year student, three others jailed for internet fraud in Kwara
By Muyideen Aliyu, llorin
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday secured the conviction of a final-year student and three others for offences related to internet fraud.
One of the convicts, Olaitan Abdulwahab Damilare, a 25-year-old Higher National Diploma (HND) student of Quantity Surveying at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court.
Olaitan was convicted alongside Maruf Quadri Kolawole, Habeeb Abiodun Jimoh, and Mubarak Moruf. While Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Olaitan, Maruf, and Habeeb, the judgment against Mubarak was delivered by Justice Sulaiman Akanbi of another division of the State High Court.
The individuals were prosecuted on separate counts of cheating by impersonation and obtaining by false pretences, in contravention of Sections 321 and 324 of the Penal Code.
According to the charge against Olaitan: "That you, OLAITAN ABDULWAHAB DAMILARE (a.k.a fav), sometime in 2024 or thereabout in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Court, dishonestly induced one Michael, a white man, to send you gift cards worth $2,100 when you knowingly pretended to be 'fav', a white woman in a romantic relationship with him, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria."
Similarly, Maruf was charged with impersonating one Frank Matt via Facebook in February 2025, during which he deceived one Philip Solomon into transferring 950 Australian dollars.
The defendants all pleaded guilty. Upon their pleas, prosecution counsels Aliyu Adebayo and Mustapha Kaigama presented witnesses, who are EFCC operatives, and tendered confessional statements, items recovered during arrest, and sums returned as restitution, all of which were admitted into evidence.
Following a review of the unchallenged evidence, the judges found the defendants guilty and passed sentences accordingly.
Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Olaitan to six months’ imprisonment and ordered the forfeiture of $2,000, one iPhone XR, and one Samsung phone to the Federal Government.
Maruf was also sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, with an order to forfeit his iPhone 13 Pro and $950. Habeeb received the same term, with a forfeiture of his iPhone 14 Pro Max, an HP laptop, and $365.
In a separate ruling, Justice Akanbi sentenced Mubarak to one year’s imprisonment or a fine of N400,000 and ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 7, and $300.
Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer of Kwara State Polytechnic, Hajia Halima Garba, clarified that the individuals in question are not students of the institution.