Court Order: Fed. UniOYE Student, 39 Others Bag Jail Term For N195m Internet Fraud
August 26, 2022
An Oyo State High Court, on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced Adeyemi Israel Abiodun, an undergraduate of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, who is also Director of Logistics of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), FUOYE Chapter, to one year imprisonment for internet-related fraud.
Justice Iyabo Yerima, who presided over the court, passed the verdict on the convicted undergraduate and 39 others, who were arraigned before another judges, after they all pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The convicts offences bordered on impersonation, obtaining money under false pretence, obtaining property by false pretence and forgery contrary to Sections 419, 467, 484, 516 and 508 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Other convicted alongside the FUOYE’s student are:Yekeen Azeez Ishola, Okeniyi Sanuel Akiniyi, Theophilus Ademola Bukola, Salami Mohammed Adetayo, Pelumi Ajayi Temiloluwa, Lawal Abdullateef Olalekan, Okusanwo Mayowa Daniel, Oluwole Oluwasegun Ayomide, Adedotun Omodele Yusuf, Monday Nnaemeka Samuel, Idowu Adeshina, Olowe Nifemi Ayomide, Adubu Olamiotan Sunday, Kehinde Olatunji Kehinde, Oguntuase Tope Francis, Elijah Isaac Wisdom, Ogbanaya Chukwu Chukwu, Adekola Adekunle, Odebode Temiloluwa Kehinde, Joseph Odunayo Clement, Andrew Adekunle Masika, Usman Mubarak Damilare, Isiaka Olumide Hammed, Uawu Osita Henry, Kareem Afeez Alabi and Ogunyemi Ayobami Samuel.
Others include: Mimiola Victor Olamide, Adeeko Kolade Emmanuel, Egberongbe Adedayo Quam, Oyelaran Olayiwola Jeremaih, Hammed Rilwan Ishola, Adefowora Omotayo David, Adedeji Ibrahim Olamilekan, Emmanuel Timileyin Akinbowale, Michael Damola Olanrewaju, Ayanyemi Olaide Samuel, Boye Timilehin Emmanuel, Timileyin Ajibola Idowu and Azeez Tolulope Ayoade.
Abiodun was arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima while thirty-nine others were prosecuted before Justices Bayo Taiwo, Akintola Ladiran and Olusola Adetujoye between August 15, 2022 and August 23, 2022 respectively.
The one count charge against Abiodun reads: “That you, Adeyemi Israel Abiodun and Odaise Precious Abiola (aka Prezzy) (at large) on or about 30th March, 2022 at Ibadan, within the Ibadan Judicial Division did conspire to forge various United States of America Banks Cheques and purport same to be genuine and thereby committed the offence of conspiracy to commit forgery contrary to Section 516 and 467 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
Abiodun and the others pleaded “guilty” to the charges filed against them by the EFCC.
Consequently, Abiodun, Daniel and Ayomide were convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment each without the “option of fine”, while Akiniyi bagged three months jailed term and six months community service.
Other defendants were convicted and sentenced to six months community service each.
Furthermore, the court ordered Abiodun to pay the sum of $1,000 USD, in restitution and forfeit a white Mercedes Benz CLA-250 with customized NANS plate number worth N16 million, a gold neck chain and one ice neck chain worth N3.6million, bitcoin worth $58, 854. 88USD, one Apple MacBook Pro 2020 Model and an iPhone 12 Pro Max to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Other convicts were ordered to restitute their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them.
The convict, Abiodun, a 200 level student of Economics and Development Studies of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State was arrested on March, 30, 2022, alongside seventy-nine (79) others in a sting operation by the operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC at Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State for alleged internet fraud.
Investigations revealed that, between July 2021 and March 2022, Abiodun benefited N195, 274, 331 million, as cumulative heist from cyber-fraud involving forgery of over 25 US banks cheques.
