Court jails 28-year-old electrician over romance scam

On Thursday, Oyeniran Olamilekan, a 28-year-old electrician, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin over offences bordering on Internet fraud and romance scam.

Olamilekan was prosecuted on one count by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the convict initially lied to the commission about his identity, claiming that his name was Adeniyi Olamilekan, whereas his real name was Oyeniran Olamilekan.

The anti-graft agency noted that Olamilekan was among the 33 Internet fraudsters arrested in Offa, in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, on September 15, 2020.

The charge against him read, “That you, Oyeniran Olamilekan (Mike Johnson), sometime in June 2020, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did cheat by impersonation when you pretended to be Mike Johnson, a white female with Gmail account [email protected], and fraudulently deceived one Bill Irvin to send $1,100 to you through gift cards after you made him believe you were a girl in love with him.”

The offence, the prosecution said, was contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same code.

Following his guilty plea on Monday, February 15, 2021, when he was arraigned by the anti-graft agency, the facts of the case were reviewed and the court adjourned till Thursday for judgment.

Delivering judgment in the matter on Thursday, Justice Akinpelu said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts, adding that “the defendant is convicted as charged.”

After listening to the allocutos by the defence counsel, A.A. Usman, the judge said, “in order to serve as deterrent to others, the convict is hereby sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with an option of fine of N300,000.”