Court sentences internet fraudster to six months imprisonment in Ilorin

Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) has secured the conviction of one Adepoju Tomiwa, who was arraigned on internet fraud and other fraud-related offences.

Tomiwa was arraigned on a one-count charge of cheating by impersonation before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The Charge reads: “That you, Adepoju Tomiwa (alias Paul Powell) sometime in August 2019, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did cheat by impersonation when you pretended to be one, Paul Powell, a White Male with Gmail account paulpowell1985@gmail.com and fraudulently deceived one Larry Gowan, an American citizen,  to send $300.00 (Three Hundred Dollars) to you through stem gift card after you made him believe same would be given to Fadex as delivery fee and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 324 of the same Penal Code”

The accused person “pleaded guilty” to the one-count charge.

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While reviewing the facts of the case, Olamide Sadiq, an operative of the EFCC, narrated to the court how the convict was arrested in Tanke area of Ilorin.

“My Lord, Tomiwa and some of his friends were arrested following intelligence reports on September 6, 2019, items recovered from him include,  a laptop, mobile phones and a Car, his emails were accessed where some fraudulent charts and messages were printed in his presence, he admitted that he received three hundred dollars from his victim”

Counsel to the EFCC, Sessan Ola, however, urged the court to rely on evidence of the prosecution witness and convict the defendant accordingly.

Justice Oyinloye, in passing the judgement, said the testimonies of the prosecution was not challenged or contradicted by the defendant.

The judge sentenced Tomiwa to six months imprisonment and ordered that his mobile phones and laptop should be forfeited to the Federal Government.