Kehinde and Ajao

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, sentenced three internet fraudsters to prison, having found them guilty of criminal charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.

While Ajao Jamal and Olawale Joel were sentenced to six months, Kehinde Ridwan Tob was sentenced to a year.

The jail terms were sequel to the criminals pleading guilty of various criminal charges pressed against them and accepted the conditions of plea bargaining.

The court also ordered Ajao and Joel to restitute through the Federal Government to their victim the sum of USD $800 as well as forfeiting all items recovered from them during the investigation.

Ajao and Joel were jointly brought before the court on a one-count amended charge bordering on fraudulent impersonation, an offence contrary to Section 27(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(4) of the same Act. They pleaded guilty to the charge.

Kehinde, who was tried separately, was originally arraigned on June 28 on a three-count charge of being in possession of fraudulent documents contrary to Section 6 and 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

Based on the plea bargain arrangement, he was re-arraigned on October 7, 2019 on a one-count amended charge bordering on fraudulent impersonation.

He was ordered to forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria his Iphone 6s Plus, a Nokia phone, an HP Laptop, one ZTE modem WIFI and an Itel phone.