The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Office, on Thursday, September 26, 2019, secured the conviction of a thirty-five-year-old Stephen Olarewaju Odanye who was charged before a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin for fraud-related activities, as reported by the anti-graft agency.
Odanye had on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the one-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.
The Charge reads, “That you, Stephen Olarewaju Odanye (a.k.a Raymond Sullivan) sometime in September 2019 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court attempted to commit an offence of cheating by pretending and presenting yourself to to one Lynn Smith, to be a white man, supplier of Engineering and Construction equipment, living in Washington as it is contained in your email Gmail account: raysulivan@yahoo.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 95 and 321 of the penal code law and punishable under section 322 of the same act”
Giving his judgment on Thursday, Justice Abdulgafar said, “The defendant was arraigned on one count charge of attempt to commit an offence of cheating by pretending and representing one Lynn Smith, an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code law”
“The prosecution called one witness, Olamide Sadiq, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who narrated to this honourable court, how the defendant was arrested and items recovered from his laptop Computer”
The Judge said the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt as the evidence of the sole witness was not challenged.
“I found you, Stephen Olarewaju Odanye, guilty of one count charge of attempt to cheat by impersonation and hereby sentenced you to six-month imprisonment without an option of fine “
Justice Abdulgafar further directed that the convict’s Laptop and mobile phones should be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.