LAUTECH, KWASU students, Samuel, Lawal jailed over internet fraud

Omotosho Olorunyomi Samuel, a 21-year-old student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomosho and two others, Abass Lawal, a student of the Kwara State University, KWASU, Molete and one Olajide Taofeek Adegoke have been sentenced to jail over offences bordering on cybercrime.

Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin ruled over the offenses bordering on cybercrime.

On Thursday, August 5, 2021, the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had arraigned the trio on separate two-count charge each, to which they pleaded guilty.

Following the guilty plea by the defendants, the prosecution reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered incriminating items recovered from the defendants, which were admitted in evidence by the court.

In his judgment, Justice Oyinloye said the court relied on the evidence of the prosecution, the plea of guilt entered by the defendants and the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, which were not controverted by the defendants.

He said the court was satisfied that the prosecution had proved its cases beyond reasonable doubt.

Consequently, Justice Oyinloye sentenced Omotosho to one year imprisonment on count one with the option of fine of N100,000 and six months imprisonment on count two with the option of fine of N100,000.

He ordered the forfeiture of $1,350 (One Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and the sum of N929,389 (Nine Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty-Nine Naira) domiciled in the convict’s Guaranty Trust Bank account to the Federal Government.

The judge also forfeited the Mac Book Laptop and iPhone 11 Promax used as instruments of the crime to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Justice Oyinloye sentenced Abbas to one-year imprisonment each on the two counts preferred against him, which would run concurrently. He also gave option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) on each of the counts.

The judge ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 11 Promax used as instrument of the crime to the Federal Government.

In the same vein, Olajide was sentenced to one-year imprisonment on count one with the option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) and two years on count two with the option of fine of N3,107,215 (Three Million, One Hundred and Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifteen Naira Only).

The judge, thereafter ordered the forfeiture of the manager’s cheque (bank draft) of N300, 000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) which the convict raised as restitution and the iPhone used to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.