The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Directorate, has secured the conviction and sentencing of 32 internet fraudsters in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Osogbo, Osun State.
According to a statement issued on Friday by EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the fraudsters were convicted before seven High Court judges in Ibadan and one in Osogbo.
The convicts, including Udoka Uzo Omefe, Adedara Ademola Ayobami, Ajayi Elijah Oladimeji, and 29 others, faced various one-count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence, advance fee fraud, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent documents.
One of the charges, against Udoka Uzo Omefe, reads, “That you Udoka Uzo Omefe ‘M’ on or about the 8th of June, 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did aid one Yemi and other internet fraudsters, now at large to create the profile pictures they used to obtain money from their victims by false pretence, and hereby committed an offence of aiding another person in committing an offence, contrary to Section 7(c) and Punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
All 32 convicts pleaded guilty to their charges. Prosecution counsels — including Modupe Akinkoye, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Sanusi Galadanchi, and others — urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly. Defence counsel pleaded for leniency, citing that the accused were first-time offenders willing to reform.
Sentences handed down varied across the courts. Justice Olusola Adeyemi sentenced Ayobami and Adewale to six months of community service each, with Ayobami ordered to restitute N3.6 million to his victim. Justice Ladiran Akintola sentenced Oladimeji to one year imprisonment or a fine of N50,000, while other defendants received community service or fines ranging from N50,000 to N250,000.
Justice U.E. Maha sentenced three convicts to one year in prison or N500,000 fines, with additional restitution of N1.15 million ordered for one of them. Justice Uche Agomoh handed jail terms ranging from four months to one year without an option of fine.
Justice K.B. Olawoyin imposed fines between N100,000 and N500,000 on five convicts, while Justice O.A. Adetujoye sentenced four to varying terms of community service without an option of fine.
In Osogbo, Justice Demi-Ajayi sentenced one convict to two years imprisonment or N1 million fine, while another received six months of community service without an option of fine.
Justice O.A. Olajide sentenced Omefe to six months imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.
In addition to their sentences, all convicts forfeited items recovered during their arrests, including a 2013 Toyota Avalon (unregistered), a black Lexus ES 250 (AGL – 840 – HK), and a wine-coloured Lexus ES 330 (KTU – 623 – GS).
The EFCC stated the arrests were based on “credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities.”
