A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin on Thursday sentenced one Olasunkanmi Fapohunda to three years imprisonment over offences bordering on internet fraud.
Fapohunda, 23, a laundry man and an indigene of Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State, was prosecuted on a count charge by the anti-graft agency, which he pleaded guilty to.
The charge against him reads:
“That you, Fapohunda Paul Olasunkanmi sometime in the month of August 2018 in Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did fraudulently impersonate one Ethan Jones you’re your email 53ethanjones53@gmail.com with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you did benefit $930.
“Thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Act) 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of the same Act”.
The EFCC prosecutor, MrAndrew Akoja had earlier reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.
In his judgment, Justice Muhammed Sani agreed with the prosecution counsel that the EFCC had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt thereby convicting the defendant.
Sani sentenced Fapohunda to three years imprisonment with option of fine to the sum of N400,000.
The judge also ordered that one iphone 12 promax, apple iphone 6, macbook laptop, Benz CLA 250 and the sum of $930 which he raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.
According to the EFCC, operatives of the zonal command on April 26 arrested the dry cleaner with one iphone 6, Macbook Apple Air Laptop and Benz CLA 250.
Upon analysis of the phone, the suspect was found to be engaged in dating scam, using fictitious emails while posing to be a white man named Ethan Jones from America to defraud unsuspecting victims.
He also engaged in the use of fraudulent email accounts for other nefarious acts including picker through bitcoins, cashapp and gift cards.
The convict who had no known source of livelihood was found to be in control of N92 million believed to be proceeds of illegal activities between August 2021 and April 2022. (NAN)
