Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin has sentenced two persons to six months imprisonment for offences bordering on internet fraud.

The convicts are; Jamiu Ishola Lekan from Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State and Olarewaju Adisa Taofeek from Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had arraigned the duo before Justice Yusuf on separate charges bordering on cheating by personation, contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Law.

Jamiu was arraigned on a one count charge while Olarewaju was prosecuted on two counts.

The charge against Jamiu reads: "That you, Jamiu Ishola Lekan, sometime in December 2022 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation by pretending to be one Stella Collins, a white American female citizen with email address gwartneylykewmqd4263@gmail.com and in that guise induced one Dickson, to send you the sum of $257 (Two Hundred and Fifty Seven US Dollars) paid via Vanilla Card and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under section 324 of the Penal Code Law "

Count 1 of the charge against Olarewaju reads,"That you, Olarewaju Adisa Taofeek, sometime in December 2022 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation by pretending to be a white American Male citizen with email address kihn.daijasdfsd@gmail.com and profile name ddf hf and on that guise induced one Berry Acosta to send to you the sum of $800 (Eight Hundred US Dollars) via Cashapp and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under section 324 of the Penal Code Law "

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge.

Following their pleas, Anselm Ozioko Jnr. who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the EFCC, reviewed the facts of the cases through two witnesses who are Operatives of the Commission. He tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants as well as exhibits recovered from them at the point of arrest and same were admitted in evidence.

In his submission, Ozioko urged the Court to convict the defendants based on the guilty plea and exhibits tendered.

Justice Yusuf while passing his judgement agreed with the position of the EFCC that the prosecution had proved its cases beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the defendants as charged.

Justice Yusuf sentenced Jamiu to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only). The judge ordered that one iPhone 6x plus which the convict used to perpetrate the crime and the sum of $257 ( Two Hundred and Fifty Seven US Dollars) which he benefited from his criminal conduct be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Olarewaju on the other hand bagged six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only) on each of the two counts. The judge in addition, ordered that one iPhone 12 Pro Max and the sum of $200 (Two Hundred US Dollars) be forfeited to the Federal Government.