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By Correspondent in Ilorin.
Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Monday, January 24, 2021 convicted a spare parts dealer based in Ilorin, Tiamiyu Hammed and one Kamarudeen Olarewaju Ibrahim over offences bordering on cybercrime and possession of fraudulent funds.
Our Correspondent recalls that the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned the duo of Tiamiyu and Kamarudeen on separate charge of one and two counts, respectively before the court.
Tiamiyu, 23, who claimes to be from Ogbomosho South-East Local Government of Oyo State, allegedly disguised as one Sarah Ben, a white female of Colorado to swindle one Todd Byers of $600 vide gift cards in contravention of Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code.
On the other hand, the anti-graft agency in one of the counts, accused Kamarudeen of having under his control a sum of N679,450.00, suspected to be unlawfully obtained and paid into his account by one of the new generation banks.
The offence contravenes Section 319 (a) of the Penal Code and punishable under same Section of the Penal Code.
The two defendants pleaded guilty to the charge against them.
Following their pleas, the counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, called witnesses who are operatives of the Commission to review the facts of each case.
In their evidence in chief, the witnesses narrated how intelligence led to the arrest of the defendants. They tendered documents and materials recovered from the defendants during investigation as evidence. These include statement of accounts, fraudulent messages, which were all, admitted without objection by the defence counsels.
Akoja, thereafter, urged the court to convict the defendants as charged based on their admittance of guilt in view of pieces of the overwhelming evidence tendered against them and in accordance with the provisions of the law.
In her judgment, Justice Akinpelu said the court had carefully considered the ‘guilty plea’ entered by the defendants, the testimonies of the witnesses and the pieces of evidence tendered against the defendants. Consequently, she pronounced the two defendants guilty.
The court sentenced Tiamiyu to six months imprisonment with N150,000 as option of fine.
The Judge also ordered the forfeiture of iphone 11 which the convict used as instrument to perpetrate the crime. He would also forfeit the sum of $600 cash he brought as restitution to the Federal Government.
Similarly, Justice Akinpelu sentenced Kamarudeen to six months imprisonment on count of the two counts against him with option of fine N100,000 on each count.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of iphone 11pro max and hp laptop which the convict allegedly used to perpetrate the crime.
The convict would also forfeit the draft of N400,000 to the Federal Government.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
