The Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentencing of five internet fraudsters before Justice Sherifah Solebo, Justice Mojisola Dada and Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The convicts are: Onyenwe Toluwalase Onyeka, Olaogun Badmus, Olakunle Abeigbe, Michael Preye Obi and Abua James.
They were arrested in different parts of Lagos by operatives of the Commission and subsequently arraigned on separate charges bordering on possession of documents containing false pretences, to which they all initially pleaded “not guilty.”
The defendants, who all confessed their involvement in the criminal activities in their respective statements to the Commission, thereafter, entered a plea bargain with the Commission, thereby prompting an amendment to the charges preferred against them.
During subsequent proceedings, the defendants each changed their pleas from “not guilty” to “guilty”.
The prosecution, therefore, reviewed the facts of the cases and urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
Consequently, Justice Solebo sentenced Onyeka to three months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N50, 000.00(Fifty Thousand Naira) and slammed a six-month jail term on Abeigbe, with an option of fine of N250, 000.00(Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
Justice Solebo also sentenced Badmus to six months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N200, 000.00(Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
Justice Dada sentenced Obi to one year imprisonment, with an option of fine of N500, 000.00(Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
James was sentenced to six months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N250, 000.00(Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) by Justice Taiwo.
The courts ordered the forfeiture of the items recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government.
