By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) achieved a significant legal victory on Monday, March 18, 2024, as six individuals were convicted and sentenced for internet fraud by Justices Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court and Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court, both sitting in Ilorin.
The convicted individuals, Aransiola Oluwaseun Stephen, Owoeye Adeyanju Ezekiel, Idris Yekini Kayode, Abdulrahmon Abubakar, Rafiu Ashimiu Adisa, and Raheem Ayomide Monsur, pleaded guilty to one-count separate charges after their arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC.
The charge against Stephen read as follows, “That you, Aransiola Oluwaseun Stephen in February 2024 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Cindy Watson, a White female, based in United States of America, and in that guise induced one Randy Driskill to send you the sum of $350 (Three Hundred and Fifty Dollars) which you did receive via gift cards thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 324 of the same law”
Aransiola Oluwaseun Stephen, in particular, was charged with cheating by personation, where he impersonated a White female named Cindy Watson from the United States, inducing a victim to send him $350 via gift cards in February 2024.
Following their guilty pleas, EFCC’s legal representatives reviewed the facts of the cases and presented statements and items recovered from the defendants at the time of arrest, which were admitted into evidence.
Both judges convicted and sentenced the defendants accordingly, ordering the forfeiture of their phones, laptops, and bank account balances to the Federal Government.
Notably, all six convicts were among the 48 students of Kwara State University (KWASU) recently apprehended by the EFCC in connection with internet fraud. This conviction marks a significant step in the EFCC’s efforts to combat cybercrime and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
