Three jailed in Kwara over cybercrime

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of three persons charged before Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court and Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin for offences bordering on cybercrime.

The Convicts are Umar Abdulrazaq Olanrewaju who answered the name “Sugar Baby” from Tanke in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State; Hassan Abdullahi Olaitan, auto repairer from Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State and one Tope Ayodele.

While Umar and Abdullahi were prosecuted before Justice Sani of the Federal High Court, Tope had his day in court before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the State High Court, Ilorin.

The defendants, who were arraigned on separate charges pleaded guilty to their respective charge.

Following their guilty pleas, Sesan Ola and Andrew Akoja who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the Commission reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered the extra-judicial statements of the defendants, phones recovered from them at the point of arrest and several fraudulent messages printed from their device, which were admitted in evidence.

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In their separate judgments on the cases, Justice Sani and Abdulgafar who agreed with the submission of the prosecuting counsels that the Commission had established a prima facie against the defendants thereafter pronounced them guilty.

Justice Sani sentenced Umar to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only). The judge ordered that the convict should forfeit one iphone 7 plus, which was recovered from him at the point of arrest.

The judge also sentenced Hassan to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only). He also ordered the convict to forfeit one iphone 7 which he used to perpetrate the crime and the sum of $200 (Two Hundred US Dollars) which he benefited from his unlawful activities to the Federal Government.

In the same vein, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Tope to three months imprisonment, to be observed at the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Centre, which should be suspended. The Judge ordered that one itel phone which the convict used to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.