EFCC Successfully Convicts Six Internet Fraudsters in Kwara

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of six individuals for offenses related to internet fraud before Justices Sulaiman Akanbi and Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

In a statement released by EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the convicts were identified as Idris Muhammed, Ismail Mustapha, Oyekola Odunayo, Anthony Stephen, Timilehin Adeniyi, and Olayiwola Ayomide Abdulmalik.

Justice Akanbi sentenced Muhammed, Mustapha, Odunayo, and Stephen to prison, while Adeniyi and Abdulmalik were convicted by Justice Yusuf on Monday, October 14, 2024.

The charge against Idris reads, “That you, Idris Muhammed, on or about the 13th day of July 2024 to 13th of August 2024 in Ilorin within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Dorthy Onanewlevel Palmer and fraudulently deceived one Lavergne Adriana Racheal to send $600 (six hundred dollars) to you via cash app and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code.”

Meanwhile, the charge against Ismail stated, “That you, Ismail Temitope Mustapha (Alias: Myre Roddy), sometime between the years 2022 and 2023 within the judicial division of the High Court, did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Myre Roddy via the TikTok account @roddy0s3 and induced one Ron Woldron to part with the total sum of $500 (five hundred dollars) through video Apple gift cards; and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges in court, according to the statement.

Following their pleas, prosecution counsels Andrew Akoja and Victoria Igodo presented the extrajudicial statements of the defendants, items recovered from them at the time of arrest, and the money they gained from their illegal activities, all of which the court admitted as evidence.

Consequently, Justice Akanbi sentenced Idris to two years in prison, with an option of a fine of N100,000, and ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 13 and the sum of $300 (three hundred dollars) as restitution to the Federal Government.

Ismail received a one-year prison sentence with an option of a N100,000 fine, along with the forfeiture of his iPhone 11 Promax and $300 to the Federal Government.

Odunayo was sentenced to one year in prison for count one with an option of N100,000, two years for count two with an option of a N200,000 fine, and two weeks of community service for count three, along with a fine of N50,000.

The court ruled that $300 and N34,900 recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Anthony was sentenced to one year in prison with an option of a N50,000 fine, and his iPhone 12 along with $25, which he benefited from his unlawful activities, were ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Justice Yusuf also sentenced Timilehin and Olayiwola to six months in prison, each with an option of a N200,000 fine.

The convicts’ phones and the money they provided as restitution were forfeited to the Federal Government.