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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 17 internet fraudsters on a separate one count charge each before Justices Bayo Taiwo, Ladiran Akintola, and Mohammed Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, Oyo and Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu of Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta.
A statement issued by the antigraft agency’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on Monday, said the convicts were sentenced to community service and jail terms ranging from two to one year in prison.
The convicts are Oduola Kunmi Ireola, Igbamidun Joshua Olamiposi, Ismael Fatai Olatunji, Osundele Oladapo Daniel, Olawale Isaac Adeleke, Olorunyomi Idowu Babatunde, Aneh Ojonimi, Olaide Iyanuoluwa Sadare, Akintola Babatunde Rasheed, Jamiu Babatunde Salam, Aluko Abayomi Oluwadamilare, Bello Ridwan Ayobami, Maleek Michael Ibrahim, Arasi Oluwaseun Tobi, Ganiu Fawaz Olalekan, Bello Ayorinde Olamilekan and Abiodun Taiwo Kareem.
They all pleaded guilty to the one count charge filed against each of them by the EFCC.
Consequently, prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye, Oyelakin Oyediran, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Musa Galadanchi, Abdulrasheed Suleiman, Mabas Mabur, and Samsudeen Bashir reviewed the facts of the cases and urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
Osundele Oladapo Daniel was convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment while Arasi Oluwaseun Tobi, Ganiu Fawaz Olalekan and Maleek Michael Ibrahim bagged nine months jail term each.
Also, Akintola Babatunde Rasheed was convicted and sentenced to nine months community service, Oduola Kunmi Ireola, Jamiu Babatunde Salam, Aluko Abayomi Oluwadamilare, and Bello Ridwan Ayobami to six months community service each while Igbamidun Joshua Olamiposi and Abiodun Taiwo Kareem bagged five months community service each.
Furthermore, Ismael Fatai Olatunji was convicted and sentenced to four months community service, Bello Ayorinde Olamilekan to two months community service while Olorunyomi Idowu Babatunde, Aneh Ojonimi, Olaide Iyanuoluwa Sadare, were convicted and fined N100,000 each. Olawale Isaac Adeleke was also convicted and fined N150,000.
Justice Bayo Taiwo ordered that Osundele Oladapo Daniel should pay the sum of $16,671 in restitution and forfeit one white coloured Toyota Venza car worth N7 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Other convicts were also ordered to restitute their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the government.