By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of two siblings, Samuel Adedeji Adeboye and Charles Adedamola Adeboye and 33 others for internet fraud before Justices Ladiran Akintola, Bayo Taiwo and O.S. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan.
The 33 convicts are: Oluwadamilola Michael Omotayo, Boluwatife Ajewole Alaran, Michael Damilare Badaru, Oyewole Ismail Oluwatayo, Mudashiru Oluwatobi Oyebamiji, Ebuka Michael Oluwatobi, Azeez Hammed Ademola, Adelayi Adetunji Wellington and Isaac Ifeoluwapo Oke.
Others are Muraina Toheeb Adeola, Hammed Ismaheel Ayomide, Adedayo Opeyemi Ogundele, Ajose Oluwaseun Alaba, Bolarinwa Tobi Samuel, Alabi Ayomide, Omodayo Obatomiwa Adedayo, Asoro Taiwo Oluwafemi and Sebili Ibrahim Sunday.
The list also include: Seun Ebenezer Anjorin, Adewale festus Prosper, Adubi Oluwatimileyin Abiola, Lawal Qwwatullah Opeyemi, Jegede Boluwaji Victor, Waris Tomiwa Atanda, Adebayo Adeoye Okikiola, Opeyemi Uthman Adeleke, Michael Olalekan Akintola, Abdulazeez Taiwo Adisa, Ebuka Ogbonna Emmanuel, Augustine Chukwuka Okoh, Ayomide Temitope Adekunle, Edunjobi Toheeb Ayobami and Abdulganiyu Sakiru Adebayo.
EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale in a statement said the convicts were prosecuted on separate one-count charge each that bordered on impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.
He said the charge against Samuel Adedeji Adeboye reads: “That you Adeboye on or about the 8th day of June, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourself as James Jonathan to Wendy Rose, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law of Oyo State, 2000.”
The charge against Charles Adedamola Adeboye reads: “That you, Charles Adedamola Adeboye sometime in July, 2018, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, aided an internet fraudster, one Olowooye David (at large) by helping him and other internet fraudsters to receive funds, which form the proceed of obtaining money by false pretences, wherein you benefitted the total sum N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), thereby committed an offence of aiding the commission of felony: obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Sections 7 (b) and 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 30, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
“All the defendants pled “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Sanusi Galadanchi, Lanre Suleiman, Shamsuddeen Bashir and Mabas Mabur to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly”, he added.
Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced the Adeboye brothers to one year imprisonment each, with N100, 000 option of fine for Adedeji and N30, 000 for Adedamola.
He convicted and sentenced Omotayo, Alaran, Badaru, Oluwatayo, Oyebamiji, Oluwatobi, Ademola, Adeola, Alaba, Samuel, Sunday, Anjorin, Abiola, Opeyemi, Victor, Atanda, Okikiola, Adeleke and Akintola to one year imprisonment each or to pay a fine of N100, 000, N50, 000, N150, 000, N50, 000, N250, 000, N50, 000, N200, 000.00, N200, 000, N200, 000, N200, 000, N200, 000, N120, 000, N100, 000, N50, 000, N500, 000, N50, 000, N50, 000, N50, 000 and N50, 000 respectively.
Also convicted and sentenced by Justice Akintola are, Oluwafemi and Prosper who both got six months jail term or to pay a fine of N100, 000 each.
Others are: Wellington and Adedayo who both got six months community service or a to pay a fine of N100, 000 each; Ismaheel Ayomide, who bagged six months community service without option of fine and the trio of Oke, Ogundele and Alabi Ayomide, who bagged three months community service or to pay a fine of N50, 000 each.
Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced Adisa to five months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N150, 000, Okoh got four months jail term while Emmanuel bagged five months community service without an option of fine.
Justice Adeyemi on her part slammed Ayobami with one year community service and three months community service each for Adekunle and Adebayo, all without option of fine.
Besides their sentences, all the convicts forfeited items recovered from them to the federal government. Ademola, Oyebamiji, Adeola and Alaba forfeitured four Lexus cars; Victor and Samuel forfeited two Toyota Camry cars, Ayobami forfeited a Mercedes Benz car while Sunday forfeited an Acura car, being proceeds of their crime.
