Court has sentenced two students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, and four others to various jail terms for their involvement in internet fraud.

The undergraduates, Gbolahan Khalid Adesina and Perekebena Olombeni Micah, were docked before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on a lone-count separate charge while others were arraigned before Justices O.A. Adetujoye and S.O. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, on a one-count separate charge.

The other four convicts are Sholagbade Taofeek Olanrewaju, Qudus Olohunnoyin Baba, Akinpelu Quadri Opeyemi, and John Oluwafimihan Adeyemo.

Adesina and Micah were among the 11 OAU students arraigned on November 6, 2023, before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel on different count charges, ranging from one to six charges as preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Upon their arraignment in November, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them and the cases were adjourned for trial.

At the resumed proceeding of the matter on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, the prosecution counsel, Umar Abiso, informed the court that Adesina and Micah were ready to change their pleas.

The students were later re-arraigned and pleaded “guilty” when the amended charges were read to them.

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One of the charges read: “That you, Gbolahan Khalid Adesina ‘M’ on or about 27th October 2023, at Ile-Ife, Osun State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself did fraudulently impersonate one Monkenya Matlock, you pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015.”

Another charge read: “That you, Perekebena Olombeni Micah sometime in 2023, at Ile-Ife, Osun State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently impersonate the name Chad Frailey through your Facebook account by claiming that you are an American Female in love with your victims in the United States of America with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22 (b) of the Cyber Crimes ( Prohibition, Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015.”

Based on their pleas, Abiso urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The other four convicts also pleaded “guilty” to the one count charge filed against them by the EFCC.

After listening to the counsels, Justice Ayo-Emmanuel convicted and sentenced Adesina and Micah to one year imprisonment each without an option of fine, while Olanrewaju, Atanda, Opeyemi, and Adeyemo bagged two weeks of community service each.

The convicts were ordered to restitute their various victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government.

The Star