Court Jails Poly, Varsity Students For Internet Crime

A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State has convicted and sentenced two students for fraudulent impersonation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, saying its Ibadan Zonal Office secured the conviction of the defendants.

Both men – Opeyemi Folarin and Ogunseye Olamilekan – were brought before Justice Patricia Ajoku who convicted them of the crime they were accused of.

Folarin is said to be a Higher National Diploma (HND) student of The Ibadan Polytechnic and Ogunseye claims to be a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in Ogun State.

They were both found guilty of a separate amended lone count of impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the same law.

While the count was read to them, they both pleaded guilty to the charge.

Thereafter, Justice Ajoku sentenced Folarin and Ogunseye to six months and seven months custodial sentences respectively.

The judge also ordered that Folarin forfeits his orange colour iPhone XR to the Federal Government.

Ogunseye, on the other hand, was ordered to restitute the sum of $700 to his victim, as well as forfeit his silver iPhone 6, Apple MacBook, and other items to the government.

Another Fraud Allegation?

Elsewhere, EFCC Zonal Office in Kano arraigned one Solomon Okonkwu on Wednesday before Justice Hadiza Suleiman of the State High Court sitting in Gezawa, for obtaining money by false pretence.

Solomon was said to have been arrested following a written petition dated June 19, 2019, by one Aisha Shittu who alleged that the defendant defrauded her to the tune of N2,650,000 under the pretext of supplying her a Shortwave Diathermy Machine.

According to the EFCC, investigation revealed that N1,500,000 and N1,150,000 were paid into the First Bank and the Diamond Bank accounts of one Solomon Ikechukwu Okonkwu.

It added that efforts to produce the equipment or recover the money were futile.

The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

Justice Suleiman then adjourned the case until February 22 for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Central Correctional Centre in Kano.