The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of two siblings, Samuel Adedeji Adeboye and Charles Adedamola Adeboye and 33 others for internet fraud.
The accused were arraigned before Justices Ladiran Akintola, Bayo Taiwo and O.S. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan.
They were prosecuted on separate one-count charges each that bordered on impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and possession of fraudulent documents.
The charge against Samuel Adedeji Adeboye reads: “That you Adeboye on or about the 8th day of June 2024, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourself as James Jonathan to Wendy Rose, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law of Oyo State, 2000.”
The charge against Charles Adedamola Adeboye reads: “That you, Charles Adedamola Adeboye sometime in July 2018, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, aided an internet fraudster, one Olowooye David (at large) by helping him and other internet fraudsters to receive funds, which form the proceed of obtaining money by false pretences, wherein you benefitted the total sum N200, 000 thereby committed an offence of aiding the commission of felony: obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Sections 7 (b) and 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 30, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
All the defendants pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Sanusi Galadanchi, Lanre Suleiman, Shamsuddeen Bashir and Mabas Mabur to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced the Adeboye brothers to one year imprisonment each, with N100,000 option of fine for Adedeji and N30,000 for Adedamola.
Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced Adisa to five months imprisonment or to pay a fine of N150,000, Okoh got four months jail term while Emmanuel bagged five months community service without an option of fine.
Justice Adeyemi on her part slammed Ayobami with one year of community service and three months of community service each for Adekunle and Adebayo, all without the option of a fine.
Besides their sentences, all the convicts forfeited items recovered from them to the federal government. Ademola, Oyebamiji, Adeola and Alaba forfeiture four Lexus cars; Victor and Samuel forfeited two Toyota Camry cars, Ayobami forfeited a Mercedes Benz car while Sunday forfeited an Acura car, being proceeds of their crime.
