Gbenro Adesina
A 29-year-old ex-convict, Joshua Ajayi Oluwatobi has been jailed again for 28 years for impersonating the Dean, Student Affairs, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), and others to defraud unsuspecting students seeking to pay school fees and hostel accommodation.
Oluwatobi, who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin was found guilty of the four-count charge levied against him.
Justice Abdulgafar, having found the accused guilty, sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, ordering the convict to restitute his victims.
The convict earned himself the jail term after pleading guilty to a four-count charge bordering on fraud, attempt to defraud and impersonation.
Oluwatobi, had sometime in June 2020 been convicted by Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court for similar offence.
In another fraud case, the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, November 29, 2021 secured seven convictions before different Justices of the Federal and State High Courts in Ibadan, Oyo State and Osogbo, Osun State.
The convicts are Akanji Musa Olawale (a.k.a Casey Harris), Oyetunji Habeeb Opeyemi (a.k.a lucy Stewart), Adeboye Abdulazeez Ayodeji, (a.k.a Thomas Ruchie) Agbedi Shola Peter (a.k.a Matthew Duke), Shonubi Oluwafemi Samson (a.k.a Benitadykes), Akinboade Fatai Abiodun and Sodiq Olelekan Saliman.
The convicts were prosecuted on separate charges.
Justice Uche Agomoh of Federal High Court, Ibadan, found Akanji and Oyetunji guilty of offence of impersonation contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b) of the same Act.
They were sentenced to five months and six months jailed terms respectively.
Similarly, Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, convicted Akinboade on one count charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Laws of Oyo State, 2000; while Sodiq was convicted for impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
Justice Taiwo thereafter sentenced the two defendants to six months community service each.
In the same vein, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Oshogbo found Adeboye, Agbedi and Shonubi guilty of fraudulent impersonation, an offence which contravenes Section 22 (2) (b) (1) Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the same Act.
Justice Ayo-Emmanuel convicted the trio and sentenced them to two months imprisonment each.
The convicts are to restitute their various victims and forfeit the items recovered from them to the Federal Government.
