The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos office, on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, secured the conviction of four internet fraudsters before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The convicted four internet fraudsters, Olatunde Olanrewaju, Ajuwon Oladipo, Abraham Adeoye and Adejumola Gbolahan, were arraigned on separate charges bordering on possession of fraudulent documents.
One of the charges against the convicted four internet fraudsters reads: “That you, Olatunde Olanrewaju, sometime in June 2019 in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, had in your possession a document, which contains false pretence to which you ought to know, having regard to the circumstances of the case, that the document contains the false pretence.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Ajuwon Oladipo, sometime in June, 2019 in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, had in your possession a document which contains false pretences to wit: ‘hello hun’ with attachments, which document you ought to know, having regard to the circumstances of the case, that the document contains false pretences.”
The convicts each pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them. In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari and Nkemruwem Anana, informed the court that the convicts willingly entered into a ‘plea bargain agreement’ with the Commission.
The facts of the cases were then reviewed, wherein the defendants made extrajudiciall statements confessing to having committed the crimes.
The prosecution counsel further told the court about the items recovered from the defendants, which included two Mercedes Benz C-class cars, six mobile phones, two laptops and a hard drive.
The prosecution counsel, therefore, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants based on the plea bargain agreements entered into by the defendants.
Counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy on the grounds that their clients were first-time offenders who had shown remorse.