The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted four internet fraudsters arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a hotel located within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Vacation judge, Justice Deinde Dipeolu, convicted the four who were arraigned separately before him after they pleaded guilty to various cybercrime-related offences. A fifth defendant pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody pending trial.
The convicts, Ibrahim Azeez Olatunji, Isaac Akinwale, Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo and Bisiriyu Roqeeb Abiodun are among a larger pool of 93 suspected internet fraudsters arrested during a sting operation by the EFCC on Sun, August 10th at a Pool Party in the hotel where they were celebrating their exploits.
In a press release on Thursday, the EFCC had initially said it will arraign 23 of the 93 in the first batch of the exercise but on Friday, only 21 suspects were brought before the court. They faced multiple charges bordering on false pretence, identity theft, and obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and the EFCC Act, 2004.
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The courtroom was packed full and the vacation judge who also listened to other pending cases before him could only accommodate 5 out of the 21 suspected internet fraudsters brought before the court, despite sitting as early as 9am and as late as 6pm.
One of the convicts, Azeez Olatunji, was said to have fraudulently presently himself as “Camila” on his google account with intent to gain advantage for himself, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Efc.) Act, 2015.
At his arraignment, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, from the date of arrest, with an option of a N500,000 fine.
A second convict, Isaac Akinwale who was alleged to
fraudulently held out himself as Monica and Daisy a to unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain undue advantage pleaded guilty to defrauding his victim of $500, and after reviewing the evidence against him, Justice Dipeolu sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment with the option of a N1 million fine.
The prosecution, led by Franklin Ofoma, tendered as exhibits a 2017 Toyota Camry, a Galaxy Note 9 phone, an iPhone 16 pro max as well as a bank draft of N400,000 made as restitution to the victim. The court ordered the forfeiture of all these items to the Federal Government.
A third convict , Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo pleaded guilty to two counts of impersonation and retaining N600,000 in criminal proceeds. He was however said to have made restitution of the sum back to the victim.
The court convicted and sentenced him to 30 days of community service at Igbesa in Ogun State. The judge also specifically ordered that within the hours of 9-5pm in his community, he must carry a placard with the inscriptions: “Cybercrime Does Not Pay”, and “Stay Away from Cybercrime”, and is to be supervised by the EFCC and officers of the Correctional Centre.
A fourth convict, Roqeeb Abiodun pleaded guilty to fraudulently representing himself as ‘Sharon’, a White American Female to one Cinton from Knoxville Tennessee through his ‘Zangi’ account, with intent to gain undue advantage and also benefiting the sum of $200, was convicted and sentenced to one month imprisonment, with the option of fine of N500,000.
The judge also ordered that a Samsung Galaxy S20 recovered from him and the N200,000 in restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
A fifth defendant, Onunoye Fawas Olamilekan however pleaded not guilty to charges of impersonating “Nurse Becky” on Facebook and retaining $50 obtained through fraud.
His lawyer challenged the validity of the charge, arguing that the cited section of the Cybercrimes Act did not exist. Justice Dipeolu ordered his remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending trial which was fixed for October 31, 2025.
The charges against them reads:
That you Ibrahim Azeez Olatunji, (male), sometime in August, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held yourself as one
“Camila” on your google account: [email protected] with intent to gain advantage for yourself, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Efc.) Act, 2015”.
“That you, Akinwale Isaac, (male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently held out yourself on your WhatsApp account, Monica and Daisy, as a female to unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you, Akinwale Isaac (Male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, retained in your control the sum of $500, proceeds of criminal conduct deceitfully obtained from unsuspecting members of the public, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17 of the EFCC Act No. 4 of 2004.
“That you, Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo (Male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently held out yourself in your Gmail account ([email protected]) to unsuspecting members of the public as an expert in service certificates and internal revenue preparation, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you, Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo (Male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, retained in your control N600,000, proceeds of criminal conduct deceitfully obtained from unsuspecting members of the public, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17 of the EFCC Act No. 4 of 2004.
The charge against Abiodun reads: “ That you, BISIRIYU ROQEEB ABIODUN (a.k.a ‘Sharon’) sometime in August, 2025 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your possession a ‘Zangi’ Account no: 1037375804 wherein you fraudulently represented yourself as ‘Sharon’ a White American Female to one Cinton from Knoxville Tennessee through your ‘Zangi’ account which is connected to your Samsung Galazy S20 with no: 09070156448 with intent to gain advantage for yourself contrary to S. 22(2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under S. 22(2) -(b) (iv) of the same law.”
The charge against Olamilekan reads: “That you, Onunoye Fawas Olamilekan (Male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently held out yourself as “Nurse Becky” on your Facebook account ([email protected]) to unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2015.
Source: Channels TV
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