By Gbenga Sodeinde
Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court, Ilorin on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 convicted and sentenced one Ajewole Ayomide Stephen, who claimed to be a former employee of LG Company over offences bordering on cybercrime.
In a related development, Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin also imposed various prison terms on one Salami Hammed Adetayo, a self-styled lottery agent from Ijebu-igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State and one Nurundeen Ibrahim, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State over similar offence.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
They all pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
Innocent Mbachie prosecuted for the EFCC in the case of Ajewole, while Andrew Akoja represented the Commission in the case involving Adetayo and Ibrahim.
The two counsels urged the court to consider the plea of guilt entered by the defendants, the extra-judicial statements volunteered by them and all the exhibits tendered to convict the defendants as charged.
In his judgment, Justice Sani sentenced Ajewole to a prison term of six months with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only). According to the court, “the convict is to forfeit the sum of $100 (One Hundred United States Dollars), which he benefited from the criminal activity” and a Samsung phone which was used to commit the crime to the Federal Government.
Similarly, Justice Akinpelu sentenced Adetayo to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only). The court also ordered the forfeiture of the sum of N616,500 (Six Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Five Hundred Naira Only) raised as restitution by the convict, his iphone 11 promax as well as his Samsung 5 8 plus, which were used to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.
The judge in the same vein, sentenced Ibrahim to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only), and ordered the forfeiture of his infinix hot 8 phone, which was used to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.
