The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of six persons for offences bordering on internet fraud.

The convicts were sentenced by Justices Sulaiman Akanbi and Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.

The convicts include Idris Muhammed, Temitope Mustapha, Oyekola Anthony, Sylvester Stephen, Timilehin Adeniyi and Olayiwola Abdulmalik.

Justice Akanbi sentenced Idris, Ismail, Oyekola and Anthony to different jail terms while the duo of Timilehin and Olayiwola were convicted by Justice Yusuf.

The charge against Idris reads: “That you, I DRIS 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 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.

The charge against Ismail reads: “That you, Ismail Temitope Mustapha (Alias: Myre Roddy) sometime between the year 2022 and 2023 within the Judicial division of the High Court, did cheat by personation, when you pretended to be one Myre Roddy vide Tik Tok account @roddy0s3 and induced one Ron Woldron to part with the gross sum of $500 vide apple gift cards; and thereby committed an offence 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.

Upon their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Andrew Akoja and Victoria Igodo tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants, items recovered from them at the point of arrest and monies that they benefited from the illegal activities, which the court admitted in evidence.

Consequently, Justice Akanbi sentenced Idris to two years imprisonment with an option of N100,000 and ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 13, and the sum of $300 which he raised as restitution to the federal government.

Similarly, the court sentenced Ismail to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000 while ordering the forfeiture of his iPhone 11 Promax and $300USD to the federal government.

Oyekola also bagged one year imprisonment on count one with an option of N100,000, two years imprisonment on count two with an option of N200,000 and two weeks community service on count three and a fine of N50,000.

The sum of $300 and N34,900 recovered from him have been ordered to be forfeited to the federal government.

In the same vein, the court sentenced Anthony to one year imprisonment with an option of N50,000 and ordered that the iPhone 12 and the sum of $25 which he benefited from the unlawful activities be forfeited to the federal government.

In a similar fashion, Justice Yusuf sentenced the duo of Timilehin and Olayiwola to six months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 each.

The convicts’ phones and the monies they brought as restitution were forfeited to the federal government.