By Ado Oyeyemi
An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced a 25-year-old internet fraudster, Ayomide Ademiloye Ifeoluwa, to 20 years imprisonment for impersonation and obtaining money under false pretences.
The convict, popularly known as a “Yahoo boy,” was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Bamidele Omotosho on a four-count charge bordering on cyber fraud.
The EFCC told the court that between 2025 and 2026, Ifeoluwa fraudulently obtained 700 dollars from a victim identified as Teresa Hodder through a Bybit Cash App wallet account after posing as an American citizen named Charles Brandon on WhatsApp.
The anti-graft agency further disclosed that the defendant also collected an additional 200 dollars in gift cards from the same victim using the false identity.
According to the prosecution, the convict equally impersonated the fictitious American identity while communicating with another victim identified as Shanon on WhatsApp with the intention to defraud.
The offences were said to be contrary to Sections 1(1)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, as well as Section 391(1) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
At the hearing of the matter, the defendant pleaded guilty after the amended charges were read to him.
Justice Omotosho subsequently confirmed from the convict that his plea bargain agreement was entered voluntarily and without pressure.
While presenting the case, EFCC counsel, Y.K. Saidu, tendered several exhibits before the court, including the defendant’s statements, bank records, transaction receipts, printed documents, electronic gadgets, a land sale agreement and an iPhone 16 linked to the crime.
Defence counsel, M.A. Adebisi, did not challenge the testimony of the prosecution witness.
Saidu informed the court that although the convict had no previous criminal record, he had yet to make restitution to the victims.
He also urged the court to order the forfeiture of the iPhone 16 recovered from the defendant to the Federal Government and requested that the proceeds from its public auction be paid to the victim.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho sentenced the defendant to nine years imprisonment each on counts one and two without an option of fine.
The court also handed him one-year jail terms on counts three and four with an option of N200,000 fine on each count.
The judge, however, ruled that the sentences would run concurrently.
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Justice Omotosho further ordered the forfeiture of the iPhone 16 to the Federal Government in accordance with Section 31 of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, directing that the device be sold through public auction and the proceeds paid to the victim.
