Four internet fraudsters arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a sting operation at a guest house within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State, have been convicted and sentenced.
The convicts Bisiriyu Roqeeb Abiodun, Ibrahim Azeez Olatunji, Akinwale Isaac, and Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo were among 93 suspected fraudsters apprehended in August during an EFCC raid at the facility.
They were arraigned separately on Friday before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on charges bordering on impersonation, identity theft, and internet fraud, contrary to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
The EFCC said Abiodun posed as “Sharon,” a white American woman, to defraud a victim in Knoxville, Tennessee; Olatunji claimed to be “Camila” via a fake Google account; Isaac posed as “Monica” and “Daisy” on WhatsApp; while Oshundairo impersonated a tax expert through a Gmail account to swindle unsuspecting victims.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. Prosecution counsel Franklin Ofoma and S.M. Yabo presented the court with their extra-judicial statements, mobile devices, forensic reports, and bank drafts for restitution, which were admitted as evidence.
After reviewing the facts, Justice Dipeolu convicted them and pronounced sentencing, noting their guilty pleas and the evidence presented. Defence counsel pleaded for leniency, describing the convicts as first-time offenders who had shown remorse.
The EFCC said the convictions underscore its resolve to prosecute cybercrime cases to conclusion and recover illicit gains from offenders.
