The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, August 11, 2022 secured the conviction of five cyber criminals before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.
The convicts included Ojekale Samuel Ayodimeji, Azeez Toheeb Oluwatemilorun, Ayomide Michael Eniola, Adetona Oladimeji Abdulazeez and Shonola Gafar Opeyemi.
They were docked on separate one count charge of impersonation, contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The charge against one of them read: “That you, Shonola Gafar Opeyemi ‘M’ on or about the 16th of June 2022 at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did falsely represent yourself to be Lewa David which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed the offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
The charge against Ojekale read: “That you, Ojekale Samuel Ayodimeji on or about the 16th day of June, 2022 at Ibadan, Oyo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud one Kristin J. Smith falsely represented yourself as Jenifer Wills, a white lady from the United States of America, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed the offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
The charge against Oluwatemilorun read: “That you, Azeez Toheeb Oluwatemilorun on or about 30th March, 2022, at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, gained an advantage for yourself when you impersonated and represented yourself to be a white American female by the name of Kim Hairby Yvonne from the United States of America and other pretences you knew to be false and thereby committed the offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
The charge preferred against Eniola read: “That you, Ayomide Michael Eniola ‘M’ sometime in May, 2022 at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did falsely represent yourself to be a female who goes by the name Debra Rene Click, from Florida, United States of America and other false representations, which you knew to be false and you thereby committed the offence personation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
The charge against Adetona read: “That you, Adetona Oladimeji Abdulazeez ‘M’ on or about the 16th of June, 2022 at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did falsely represent yourself to be Dora Maccarty, which representation you knew to be false, thereby committed the offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
They all pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC, which made the prosecution counsel, Abdulrasheed Lanre, Suleiman, to urge the court to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
Justice Yerima convicted and sentenced Ayodimeji, Oluwatemilorun, Eniola and Opeyemi to six months community service each while Abdulazeez bagged three months community service.
Also, the convicts were ordered to restitute their victims and forfeit all the items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
