The Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, June 28, 2019 secured the conviction of two internet fraudsters – Abdulazeez Abdulgafar Opeoluwa (a.k.a. Aquia Pennington) and Bakare Azeez Adegbola.
The duo were convicted of impersonation and sentenced to prison terms by Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal High Court 1, Abeokuta Division.
Opeoluwaโs charge contravenes Section 22 (3) (a) and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015.
The charge against Adegbola is contrary to Section 24 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015.
Prosecution counsel, Shamsuddeen Bashir, had earlier informed the court of plea bargain agreements between each of the convicts and the EFCC, and urged the court to accept same.
Opeoluwa and Adegbola thereafter pleaded guilty to the respective one-count amended charge filed against them.
While delivering his judgment, the presiding judge pronounced Opeoluwa guilty as pleaded and sentenced him to five months in prison, while Adegbola was slammed with eight months jail term.
The court also ordered the duo to returned the proceeds of their fraud to the victims, through the Federal Government of Nigeria, as well as forfeit the items recovered from them at the point of arrest also to the government.
