THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of nine internet fraudsters in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

A statement by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head, Media & Publicity stated that the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission secured the conviction of the nine fraudsters before two different judges of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.

According to Oyewale, two of the fraudsters, Toheeb Abdulrasheed and Chukwuebuka Isaac Dike were sentenced by Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, on Monday, June 8,  for their involvement in internet-related fraud.

The EFCC spokesperson explained that Dike, who claimed to be a 100-level Biochemistry student of the Federal University of Agriculture, (FUNAAB) was sentenced to three months in prison while Abdulrasheed, a self-acclaimed graduate of Business Administration from Moshood Abiola
Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, bagged four months.

Their sentences followed the prayer of prosecution counsel, Abdulrasheed Suleiman for their conviction after they pleaded guilty to their respective amended one-count charge.

Aside the prison sentences, the judge also ordered that Abdulrasheed restituted the sum of $600USD to his victim through the Federal Government and to also forfeit his iPhone 6 to the government.

Dike on the other hand,   was ordered to  restitute the sum of $500USD  to his victim and ceded his gold iPhone 11 Pro Max and Rose Gold Infinix Hot 5 to the Federal Government.

The statement further disclosed that Justice Ibrahim Watilat of the same Federal High Court, Abeokuta on Tuesday June 2 convicted and sentenced the trio of Tobiloba Oni, Paul Oluwadamilare Odole and Michael Oluwaseun Jemiseye, having found them guilty of the criminal charges preferred against them by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission.

Oni was handed four months imprisonment, Jemiseye got three months with N120,000 option of fine, while Odole got four months with equally N120,000 option of fine.

Apart from forfeiting all items recovered from them to the Federal Government, the convicts were mandated to sign a pact with the EFCC to be of good behaviour and never to be involved in any form of economic and financial crime within or outside the country.

They are also to always make themselves available for participation in subsequent anti-corruption campaigns of the Commission.

Justice Watilat in the same vein, convicted three additional others for internet-related crimes.

The convicts: Favour Chinueze Ekeh, Kolade Nwachukwu and Sultan Adeniji Egbede were handed three months imprisonment each with N100,000, N50,000 and N100,000 option of fine, respectively, which must be paid within two days of the sentence or else, the prison term would apply.

Justice Abubarkar  had on Tuesday, June 2, convicted one Rotimi Quadri Akinlolu for his involvement in internet fraud.

He was sentenced to six months imprisonment with effect from March 6 when he was arrested. Aside the jail term, he forfeited all items recovered from him to the Federal Government.