Cybercrime Crackdown: EFCC Nails 17 Internet Fraudsters in Western Nigeria

Seventeen internet fraudsters have been sent to jail in western Nigerian states of Oyo and Ogun.

A press release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC disclosed that the commission secured the conviction and sentencing after their web of deceit was unraveled.

According to the press release signed by the commission’s Head,  Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the seventeen were jailed between the second and last week of January 2024.

One of them, Adesanya Olamilekan Dare was convicted for activities resulting from posing as a white male, Daryl Huffman from United States of America to one Angie Shepard, through a Facebook account associated with the email address daryhuffman1960@gmail.com.

They were arraigned before Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan and Justice A.A. Babawale of the Ogun State High Court.

The EFCC revealed that the jail term ranged from two weeks community service, and two weeks to one year imprisonment each, without an option of fine.

The courts also ordered that the convicts restitute their various victims and forfeit some items to the Federal Government of Nigeria, including four vehicles

One of them, Samad Tijani Owolabi, is to pay over Eleven Million  Naira as restitution.

 In a related development, the Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force arrested four persons at Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State  on suspicion of fraudulent internet-related activities.