Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, sentenced one Malik Olayemi Oladimeji to eight months in prison after finding him guilty of fraudulent impersonation in an amended one-count charge, filed against him by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The convict is to restitute $USD75 (Seventy-five U.S. Dollars) to his victims through the EFCC and also forfeited his Nokia C3 and Infinix X510 mobile phones (being instruments in the crime) to the federal government.
The amended charge to which the convict pleaded guilty is contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(i) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the same Act.
Following his plea of guilt, prosecution counsel, Mabas Mabur prayed the court to convict and sentence him in accordance with the plea bargain he reached with the prosecution.
In a related development, Justice Watilat Ibrahim of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital has ordered five suspected internet fraudsters to be remanded in prison custody, pending the filing and hearing of their bail applications.
The suspects: Babalola Oluwadamilare Oladipipo, Olalekan Agbeseyi, Babalola Gbenga Samuel Owosho, Omoniyi sola Femi and Olamidotun Johnson Ibikunle were arraigned separately on different count charges that border on impersonation, possession of fraudulent documents and obtaining money under false pretence.
They all pleaded not guilty to their respective charges following which the team of prosecution counsels, made up of Ifeanyi Agwu and Iyabo Daramola prayed the court for a trial date and for the suspects to be remanded in prison custody.
Justice Watilat ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody pending the filing and hearing of their bail applications and adjourned the matter until January 21 and January 27, 2020.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
26 November, 2019
