The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentencing of seven internet fraudsters, Wusu Damilare, Salako Oluwasegun Daniel, Odunola Jason, Brian Emeka Ebong, Arinze Princewill, Babajide Mudashiru and Adeshina Afeez Kolawole to one year imprisonment each before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
A statement released by the antigraft agency says the convicts were arraigned by the EFCC for possession of fraudulent documents.
Some of the charges read: “That you, Wusu Damilare, sometime in 2019 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, had in your possession to wit: pseudo email account, document titled ‘wusubaba@yahoo.com’ and ‘oluwadamilarewusu@gmail.com’, which document you knew contained false pretence.”
“That you, Salako Oluwasegun Daniel, sometime in 2019, in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, had in your possession a fraudulent document, which document you knew contained false pretence.”
Similarly, Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has convicted and sentenced the trio of Balogun Sultan, Olalekan Savage and Daniel Ezo to various jail terms for possession of fraudulent documents.
The convicts were arraigned separately by the EFCC for their involvements in internet frauds.
In view of their guilty pleas, the prosecution informed the Justice Mojisola Dada’s court that the defendants had entered into a “plea bargain” with the Commission, adding that they also made confessional statements.
The prosecution, while reviewing the facts of the cases, told the court that the defendants were arrested, following intelligence reports received about their involvements in internet frauds.
The prosecution further stated that some false documents, two cars, iphones, laptops and some amounts of money were recovered from the defendants.
The court admitted in evidence the defendants’ confessional statements, the false documents as well as the funds recovered from the defendants.
Consequently, the prosecution urged the court to convict the defendants.
Justice Dada, after listening to the prayers of both parties, convicted and sentenced the fraudsters to one year imprisonment each.
The Judge further held that the sentencing must commence from the “day of judgment”.
Justice Dada also ordered that items recovered from the convicts be forfeited to Federal Government.
The Judge, however, gave an option of fine of N250, 000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) to Ebong, Princewill, Mudashiru and Kolawole.
The convicts were ordered to write an undertaking with the EFCC, promising that they would never return to the crimes.
One of the charges against Balogun who was brought before Justice Sherifat Solebo reads: “That you, Balogun Sultan, sometime in 2019 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, had in your possession a fraudulent document, which document you knew contained false pretence.”
For Olalekan, the charge reads: “That you, Olalekan Savage sometime in 2019, in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, had in your possession a fraudulent document, which document you knew contained false pretence.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution informed the court that the defendants had entered into a plea bargain with the EFCC.
The court admitted in evidence the defendants’ confessional statements and some false documents tendered by the prosecution.
The prosecution also urged the court to convict the fraudsters according to the plea bargain agreement.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Solebo convicted and sentenced Sultan to seven months imprisonment. The Judge also sentenced Savage to one year imprisonment.
The third defendant, Ezo, was convicted and sentenced to eight months imprisonme
