Cybercrime: Court Jails Varsity Students in Kwara

By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Tuesday convicted and sentenced a final year student of University of Ilorin, Mr. Abubakar Abdulbashit Opeyemi to jail after the court found him guilty of offences bordering on love scam and internet fraud.

The two other convicts are Alimi Abiodun and Idowu Rasaq Olarewaju, who are students of the Kwara State University University ( KWASU), Molete and Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, respectively.

The Ilorin Zonal Office of the EFCC has secured the conviction of the three affected convicts bordering on love scam and internet fraud.

The three convicts, who were arraigned on separate charges pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar while relying on the plea of guilt entered by the defendants and the various exhibits tendered against them held that the prosecution succeeded in proving its case beyond reasonable doubts.

Consequently, Abdulbashit Opeyemi was sentenced to six months imprisonment, which shall be suspended for one year.

The judge also ordered that the convict’s iPhones, HP Laptop, which were used as instruments in committing the crime and a draft of N50,000 which he raised as restitution be forfeited to the federal government

In sentencing Abiodun, the judge gave him three months imprisonment on count one and one year imprisonment on count two, which shall be suspended for one year.

He also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone and the sum of N352,000 draft raised by him (the convict) to the federal government.

For Idowu, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced him to six months imprisonment at Mandala Correctional Centre, which shall be suspended for six months.

He also ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s 2014 Toyota Venza, 2 iPhones, HP Laptop, the sum of N404,414. in his First Bank account to the federal government.