Six jailed for internet fraud

The Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, secured the conviction of six internet fraudsters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Justices Mohammed Abubakar and Ibrahim Watilat of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Division handed down the verdicts.

The convicts are: Ibrahim Adenekan, Akinniyi Bankole Ojumu, Amoo Hammeed Olamide, Oshoala Abayomi Ganiu, Opaaje Oluwatobi Isiah and Ibukun Sunday.

They were all found guilty of the respective one-count amended charges filed to replace the original charges against them, having reached an agreement with the Commission on plea bargaining.

Ibrahim pleaded guilty to fraudulent impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime Prohibition Prevention Act 2015 and punishable under the same Act.

For Akinniyi, the crime was sending pornographic and indecent pictures with his email account.

The offence is against Section 24(1)(a) of the Cybercrime Prohibition Prevention Act 2015, and punishable under Section 24(1)(b) of the same Act.

The presiding judge sentenced Opaaje based on his guilty plea to the fraudulent impersonation offence file against him. Each of the convicts bagged three months jail term starting from their time of arrest.

Besides the jail term, the convicts were ordered to restitute to their victims the money they fraudulently collected from them, and also forfeit all the items recovered from them to the Federal government of Nigeria.