Court Convicts And Sends Kwara Lecturer To 6 Months Imprisonment Over Romance Scam

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin at the weekend
convicted and sentenced a 38-year-old lecturer at the Kwara State
College of Health Technology, Offa, Adebisi Ademola, to six months
imprisonment over his involvement in an internet love scam.

Ademola was among the thirty-three suspected internet fraudsters
arrested on September 14, 2020 in Offa area of Kwara State.

The defendant was prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one count
bordering on romance scam, an offence contrary to and punishable
under Section 95 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

The charge reads: “That you, Adebisi Ademola (a.k.a Dawn Ayero)
sometime in September, 2020 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to
commit an offence of cheating by impersonation by pretending and
representing yourself to be a white lady called Dawn Ayero to one
Donald Oakes who is purportedly in love with the said Donald Oakes
as it is contained in your gmail account: dawnayero@gmail.com and
thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under
Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.”

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to
him.

Following his ‘guilty plea’, counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja,
invited to the witness box, one Olumide Olasode, an operative of
the Commission to review the facts of the case. He narrated how
intelligence report led to the arrest of the defendant on September
14, 2020 at Offa area of Kwara State.

Petition from concerned citizens of Offa, statement of the
defendant and all the fraudulent messages printed out of his email
were tendered and admitted in evidence by the Court.

Akoja, thereafter, urged the Court to convict the defendant
based on his plea, the exhibits tendered and the evidence of the
sole prosecution witness (PW1).

Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Sikiru Oyinloye found
Ademola guilty of the charge and accordingly sentenced him. He,
however, gave him an option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand
Naira).

The judge in addition, ordered the forfeiture of convict’s
phone, used as instrument to perpetrate the crime, to the Federal
Government.

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin at the weekend
convicted and sentenced a 38-year-old lecturer at the Kwara State
College of Health Technology, Offa, Adebisi Ademola, to six months
imprisonment over his involvement in an internet love scam.

Ademola was among the thirty-three suspected internet fraudsters
arrested on September 14, 2020 in Offa area of Kwara State.

The defendant was prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one count
bordering on romance scam, an offence contrary to and punishable
under Section 95 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

The charge reads: “That you, Adebisi Ademola (a.k.a Dawn Ayero)
sometime in September, 2020 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to
commit an offence of cheating by impersonation by pretending and
representing yourself to be a white lady called Dawn Ayero to one
Donald Oakes who is purportedly in love with the said Donald Oakes
as it is contained in your gmail account: dawnayero@gmail.com and
thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under
Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.”

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to
him.

Following his ‘guilty plea’, counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja,
invited to the witness box, one Olumide Olasode, an operative of
the Commission to review the facts of the case. He narrated how
intelligence report led to the arrest of the defendant on September
14, 2020 at Offa area of Kwara State.

Petition from concerned citizens of Offa, statement of the
defendant and all the fraudulent messages printed out of his email
were tendered and admitted in evidence by the Court.

Akoja, thereafter, urged the Court to convict the defendant
based on his plea, the exhibits tendered and the evidence of the
sole prosecution witness (PW1).

Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Sikiru Oyinloye found
Ademola guilty of the charge and accordingly sentenced him. He,
however, gave him an option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand
Naira).

The judge in addition, ordered the forfeiture of convict’s
phone, used as instrument to perpetrate the crime, to the Federal
Government.