It was a harvest of convictions for the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday August 4, 2021 as 16 cyber criminals were convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by Justice Adamu Tukur Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The convicts are Saheed Ibrahim Odunayo, Oduwa Osagieduwa, Ahmed Rilwan, Okpodu Samson, Abimbola Akinboyejo, Akande Oluwaferanmi, Samson Fadugbagbe and Prince Ifeakachukwu Abandi. Others are Dogo Samson, Olurunlayo Busayo Adewale, Joshua Temiloluwa, Oniye Damilare, Oluwagbemiga Blessing, Lucky Morrison, Adekolurejo Femi James and Alasa Solomon.
The 16 convicts were arraigned on one count charge each for offences bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.
The charge against Ahmed Rilwan reads: “That you Ahmed Rilwan (m) sometimes in 2019 at Owo, Ondo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud sent electronic message which materially misrepresent your identity of Jessica, an American lady upon which she relied and suffered financial loss in the sum of $1,500 (One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.”
All the defendants pleaded guilty to the respective charge.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Francis Jibro, prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. One of the defence counsel, Pascal Ugbome urged the court to honour the plea bargain agreement entered by the parties.
Justice Mohammed sentenced the duo of Adekolurejo Femi James and Oduwa Osagieduwa to two years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 each. The quartet of Saheed Ibrahim Odunayo, Samson Fadugbagbe Okpodu Samson, and Olurunlayo Basayo Adewale were sentenced to two years imprisonment or a fine of N300, 000.Lucky Morrison, Joshua Temiloluwa, Abimbola Akinboyejo, Oluwagbemiga Blessing, Akande Oluwaferanmi, Oniye Damilare, and Dogo Samson were sentenced to two years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each.
Ahmed Rilwan was sentenced to three years imprisonment or a fine of N300, 000 while Alasa Solomon bagged two years imprisonment or a fine of N400, 000.Prince Ifeakachukwu got three years imprisonment with the option of N500, 000 fine.
