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By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of 11 cyber-criminals for various jail terms.
The convicts were prosecuted following their arrest for alleged cybercrime and other related fraud activities.
During their arraignments before Justices Ladiran Akintola, Adebukola Lajide and Sinmisola Adeniyi of Oyo and Ogun State High Courts in Ibadan and Abeokuta respectively, they all pleaded guilty to the one count separate charges filed against them.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, Olatunji Akintola, Umar Abiso, Shamsudeen Bashir, Adamu Sahabi, Zainab Tijani and Fatima Baba reviewed the facts of the cases and prayed the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
The convicts are Olakunle Dave Edamisan, Samuel Opeyemi Enitan, Daniel Aanu Omoyajowo, Jonathan Emmannuel Opashi, Daramola Damilola Aliu, Olarenwaju Olamilekan Oluwaseun, Olaoluwa Daniel Adejobi, Akintola Akindeji Festus, Tijani Babatunde Adedayo, Sodiq Opyemi Odunewu and Powei Ibelih Theophilus.
Consequently, Justice Adeniyi convicted and sentenced Odunewu, Adedayo, Festus, Adejobi and Oluwaseun to one year imprisonment each without an option of fine.
Also, Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Omoyajowo, Opashi and Aliu to one year imprisonment each; Edamisan to six months community service, Enitan to three months community service while Powei was convicted and sentenced to six months community service. He will in addition, forfeit N500, 000 and N1.4 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
However, Omoyajowo was given an option of N40, 000 fine while Opashi, Aliu and Edamisan were given an option of N50,000 fine each.
The convicts were ordered to restitute their various victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.