Cybercrime: Court jails Ekiti SUBEB staff, EKSU graduate in Kwara

A Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday sentenced a worker of the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Olubola Olusola Sunday, and a graduate of the Ekiti State University, Ade-Ajayi Oluwatobi, to various jail terms having found them guilty of offences bordering on cybercrime.

Sunday, 29, was prosecuted on three-count charge and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, while Oluwatobi 19, bagged one-year jail term, having pleaded guilty to a separate one-count charge preferred against him by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The duo were arraigned yesterday by the anti-graft agency.

Count one of the charge against Sunday read: “That you, Olubola Olusola Sunday (alias Mic Porter) sometime in February 2018 in Ado-Ekiti, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, with the intent to defraud, sent electronic messages materially misrepresenting facts of being Mic Porter, a white male vide [email protected] upon which reliance, one Mega Johnson is caused to suffer loss of $1, 000 received through Western Union money transfer, and you thereby committed a computer-related fraud contrary to and punishable under Section 14(2) of the cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015.”

Particulars of the count read against Oluwatobi, stated: “That you, Ade-Ajayi Oluwatobi (aka Stacy Erisman) sometime in April 2020 at Ado-Ekiti, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Stacy Erisman with the intent to gain advantage to yourself from one Umar Farouk who chatted vide your email: [email protected], and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2) of the Cybercrimes ((Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015, and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) (iv) of the same Act.”

Following their pleas, the counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, reviewed the facts of the two cases through Olasode Olumide and Emezie Peter Kachi, both who are operatives of the commission against Sunday and Oluwatobi respectively.

The two witnesses, in their separate testimonies, told the court how the defendants (now convicts) were arrested in Ado-Ekiti based on credible intelligence reports.

They tendered documents, which included statements of the defendants, two iPhones, First Bank manager’s cheque (bank draft) of N417,000, photocopies of particulars of the vehicle recovered from one of the defendants and its key.

Akoja, thereafter, urged the court to convict the defendants based on their pleas and the evidence placed before it.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Muhammed Sanni said the prosecution proved the two cases beyond reasonable doubt, citing the pleas of guilt entered by the defendants, the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, exhibits tendered and plea bargain agreements.

Consequently, the judge sentenced Sunday to six months imprisonment on each of the three-count charge against him, to run concurrently.

He, however, gave an option of fine of N100, 000 on each count.

The Justice also ordered the forfeiture of the iPhone, First Bank manager’s cheque (bank draft) of N417,000 to the federal government.

Justice Sanni also sentenced Oluwatobi to a term of one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000.

Also, the court ordered that Lexus Ex350 car and iPhone 11 pro recovered from him be forfeited to the federal government.