Quadri Sulaimon Ayobami

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Justice Patricia Ajoku of the Federal High Court 1 sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 convicted and sentenced one Quadri Sulaimon Ayobami to three months in prison over fraudulent impersonation.

The 20-year-old undergraduate of Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki was convicted of a one-count amended charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.

Quadri was convicted of an offence contravening Section 22(3) (b) and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015.

He was initially arraigned on June 26, on a five-count charge to which he pleaded not guilty. The charges were later amended due to his plea bargain agreement with the Commission.

The amended charge reads “That you, Quadri Sulaimon Ayobami sometimes in 2018, at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, fraudulently impersonated one Kate Linda via your email katelindabooxo@gmail,com wherein you falsely represented to kenneth Stroud that you are a woman known as Kate Linda which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(3)(b) and punishable under section 22 (4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act,2015”.

After the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, EFCC’s counsel, Murtala Usman, prayed the court to accept the terms of the plea bargain agreement.

Justice Ajoku thereafter convicted and sentenced Quadri to three months in prison with effect from his date of his arrest.

The court also ordered that the convict restitute the sum of USD207 and also forfeit one black Infinix Hot X606 phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria, being part of the benefit he derived from his fraudulent acts.