Internet fraudster jailed for 24 months in Ilorin

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced a 23-year-old serial internet fraudster, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, to 24 months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.

According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, Olalekan, a native of Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was convicted on Wednesday, 21st May 2025, after being found guilty of a two-count charge of cybercrime-related offences, including cheating and impersonation, brought against him by the Ilorin zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of ₦124,402,322 found in Olalekan’s bank account, a white Mercedes Benz ML350 valued at ₦30 million, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max used in perpetrating the crimes.

The convict was accused of impersonating multiple foreign nationals, including Joshua Compbell Novak, through fake Gmail and TextPlus accounts between August and December 2024. Using these fraudulent identities, he defrauded victims, including Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess, of $100,000 and $1,000, respectively.

One of the charges reads:

“That you, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, between August 2024 and December 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Joshua Compbell Novak via your Gmail account and TextPlus number with the intent to obtain a total sum of $100,000 from Allisa Motazedi, which you did obtain, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(IV) of the same Act.”

Olalekan pleaded guilty to both counts.

Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, led an investigating officer, Paul Aniebonam, in presenting evidence detailing how the convict created fake online profiles to deceive and defraud unsuspecting foreign victims.

Aniebonam confirmed to the court that proceeds from the fraudulent activities were used to purchase the luxury vehicle in October 2024, while over ₦124 million in his bank account was traced to similar illicit transactions. He also tendered key exhibits, including the bank statement, car documents, mobile device, and four extra-judicial statements made by the defendant.

Justice Awogboro sentenced Olalekan to 12 months’ imprisonment on each count, to run consecutively. The court also granted the final forfeiture of all traced assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The case originated from a report by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which alerted the EFCC to Olalekan’s cybercriminal activities.

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