A Federal High Court sitting in Ilọrin, Kwara State, on Wednesday sentenced a 23-year-old internet fraudster, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, to two years imprisonment for cybercrime-related offences.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro found Olalekan, an indigene of Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti State, guilty on a two-count charge of cyber fraud, including cheating and impersonation, brought against him by the Ilọrin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of N124.4 million traced to Olalekan’s Wema Bank account, a Mercedes Benz ML350 SUV valued at N30 million, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max — all proceeds and tools of the crime — to the federal government.
According to the EFCC, Olalekan operated a sophisticated cybercrime scheme between August and December 2024, during which he impersonated several foreign nationals using fake Gmail addresses and TextPlus accounts.
Victims of his online scams included two foreigners, Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess, from whom he fraudulently obtained $100,000 and $1,000 respectively.
The convict pleaded guilty to both counts. Prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Sesan Ola, presented key evidence through an investigative officer, Paul Aniebonam, who detailed how Olalekan defrauded unsuspecting victims using social engineering tactics and deceptive online identities.
Justice Awogboro sentenced the defendant to 12 months imprisonment on each count, to run consecutively, amounting to a total of two years behind bars. The judge also approved the final forfeiture of the recovered assets to the federal government.
The EFCC initiated its investigation following a tip-off from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which had flagged Olalekan’s suspicious online activities.
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