…One bags one-year jail term for impersonating Canadian
The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 47 individuals suspected of engaging in internet fraud.
The suspects were arrested at Ikere Road and Iworoko areas of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, following intelligence on their alleged cyber fraud activities in the state.
The arrested suspects are identified as Adeyemi Joshua Adeniran, Ajaye Redmond Damilare, Nwaji Mathew, Jegede Boluwaji Victor, Oyetunji Sunday Wole, Damilola Awopetu Ayomide, Ajayi Temitope Ayomide, Babajide Adebisi Victor, Balogun Precious Akinwale, Obie Jacob Onatakaroma, Olonitola Olamilekan, Ajewole Ojo Kayode, Aina Toluwani Emmanuel, Adebayo Akinwumi Oluwadamilare, Omowaye Oluwatosin Olamilekan, Oyewale Francis Oyomilekan, Arowolo Ayomide Gift, Shotonwa Babatunde Omotoyosi, Ochochie Silas Ochola, Ojo Seyitan David, Onile Ayodeji Raphael, and Abiodun Oluwatosin Opeyemi.
Others are Adebayo Gbenga Musbau, Oyebade Ayomide Olamide, Egunjobi Samuel Gbenga, Oladokun Toheeb Adekola, Adesola Benjamin Adebowale, Edamisan Olakunle, Adesola Isaac Babatunde, Oyewole Gideon David, Lawal Tosimile Moses, Adeleke Adekunle Samson, Oladiti Abiodun Akanji, Ajayi Charles Temitayo, Adeyemi Oluwasegun Adeboye, Ernest Solomon Temitope, and Atoun Olalekan Timilehin.
The remaining suspects include Olorunyomi Sina Ayo, Babatunde Emmanuel Babalola, Yusuf Saka Olaoluwatobi, Falaye Babatunde Temitope, Ilesanmi Damilola Ayomide, Badmus Yusuf Omobolaji, Komolafe Emmanuel Feranmi, Babajide Adebisi Victor, Adamolekun Olamiji, and Oshatimi Samuel Omoniyi.
In a related development, the Oyo State Command of the Nigerian Police has apprehended two cybercrime suspects, Emiola Usman and Kamorudeen Quayum, who have been handed over to the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC for further investigation.
Items recovered from the suspects include 15 exotic cars, 16 laptops, 77 mobile phones, other incriminating documents, among others.
The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigations are concluded.
In a separate incident, the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC successfully prosecuted one Victory Dennis, also known as Lakeisha Andre, on charges related to impersonation. Dennis was apprehended at the Disney Lounge Night Club in Barnawa, Kaduna, based on intelligence regarding his involvement in internet fraud-related activities. Further investigations revealed that he used WhatsApp and Facebook to impersonate and pose as a perfumer.
One of the charges against Dennis reads: “That you, Victory Dennis (aka Lakeidha Andre) ‘M’, sometime in 2022 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Lakeisha Andre, a female Canadian on Facebook and falsely presented yourself as a Marketer of perfume to Gleen Odell and other unsuspecting persons, which you knew to be false, and thereby committed impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 142 (1) of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under the same law.”
Dennis pleaded guilty to the charge. Accordingly, the prosecution counsel, Y.J Matiyak, requested the court to convict him. Subsequently, Justice A.A. Isiaka convicted and sentenced Dennis to one year of imprisonment, with the alternative of paying a fine of N150,000. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the phones used in perpetrating the crime by the convict.
