From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday, May 27, convicted and sentenced Ibrahim Ajisafe Oladimeji, Hassan Abdulmalik Temitope, and Babatunde David Olusegun for fraud.
The trio was prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges of impersonation and cybercrime.
The charge against Temitope reads: “That you, Hassan Abdulmalik Temitope (alias: Jane) sometime in the year 2024, within the Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Jane via your created 2 backpage account with the intent to obtain and did obtain from one John Gary the gross sum of $2,500 (Two Thousand Five Hundred US Dollars) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”
All three pleaded guilty to their charges. Prosecution counsel Rashidat Alao presented evidence, including the defendants’ extra-judicial statements and items recovered at the time of arrest, and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Awogboro sentenced Oladimeji to 150 hours of community service for each charge, to be served at five hours per day, without an option of a fine. His iPhone 12 Pro and $100, identified as proceeds of his crime, were forfeited to the federal government.
Temitope received 700 hours of community service, to be served at five hours per day, without an option of a fine. His iPhone 12 and a 2009 Toyota Camry, identified as proceeds of his crime, were forfeited to the federal government.
Olusegun was sentenced to 150 hours of community service, to be served at five hours per day, without an option of a fine. His iPhone 12 and $75, identified as proceeds of his crime, were forfeited to the federal government.