Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin has convicted a certain fraudster, Mr. Ajewole Oluseyi David, based in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, over offences bordering on internet fraud.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of a duplex situated at Lekki, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, worth over N60 million and one RS 350 Lexus car worth more than N6 million, which the convict procured with proceeds of his illegal activities to the federal government.
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), prosecuted Ajewole alongside seven other fraudsters over similar offence bordering on internet fraud.
Other seven being prosecuted by the court are Mr. Ebenezer Olamilekan Apata from Akure, Ondo State; Mr. Obadun Abiodun Taofeek from Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State; Mr. Ayeni Kayode from Iludun-Ekiti, Ekiti State; Alade Oluwatosin Daniel from Owo/Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State; Ojo Tobi from Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State; Adeyemi Segun from Esa-Oke Local Government Area of Osun State and one Akinrinmola Olumide.
The convicts were among the 30 fraud suspects arrested by EFCC operatives during a sting operation in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State Capital, on April 26, 2022, except for Adeyemi Segun that was arrested in Ogbomosho Area of Oyo State sometime in October 2021.
The convicts, who were prosecuted on separate charges, pleaded guilty to their respective charge.
Upon the “guilty plea” entered by the defendants, Mr. Innocent Mbachie, Sesan Ola and Mr. Andrew Akoja, who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the commission reviewed the facts of the cases from the bar, narrated the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the defendants and tendered several incriminating materials recovered from them at the point of arrest, which were admitted in evidence.
The EFCC counsels urged the court to consider the “guilty plea” of the defendants; their extra-judicial statements and the uncontroverted evidence of the prosecution as well as the provisions of the law in convicting the defendants as charged.
Delivering judgment on the cases, Justice Muhammed Sani, upheld the submissions of the prosecuting counsels and pronounced the defendants guilty of their respective charges.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the items used as instruments of the crime and acquired with proceeds of the illegal activities by the convicts to the federal government.
