Justice Bayo Taiwo of Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, has convicted and sentenced seven Internet fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts: Ogunyemi Olajide Temitope, Olamilekan Fafiolu Quadri, Olamilekan Paul Akinyemi, Ayegbusi Ayokunle, Taiwo Azeez Dolapo, Adeogun Usman Oluwatobiloba and Oyewumi Michael Oluwapelumi, were jailed on August 8 and 9, 2022.
They were convicted after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge, upon their arraignment by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Based on their pleas, the prosecution prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. Justice Taiwo thereafter convicted and sentenced Temitope, Quadri, Akinyemi and Ayokunle to six months community service each and ordered that “any of the convicts who fails to report at any point in time to their designated places assigned for the six months community service, shall be sentenced to three years imprisonment at the end of the community service”.
The judge convicted and sentenced Oluwatobiloba to six months imprisonment, but Dolapo and Oluwapelumi were sentenced to six months community service each.
Also, the court ordered Temitope to pay the sum of $4,600 in restitution, Akinyemi $3,000 and Quadri $1,000.
Others were also ordered to make restitution to their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government.
The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when they were arrested by operatives of Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences.