Crime
EFCC Secures Conviction For 39 Internet Fraudsters
The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentence of 39 internet fraudsters from Justices O.S. Adeyemi, Bayo Taiwo and Ladiran Akintola, all of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan.
They were prosecuted on a separate one-count charge each, bordering on impersonation, cheating, possession of fraudulent documents and obtaining by false pretence.
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The convicts are: Fasanya Abdulqudus Gbolahan, Nkiri Oluchukwu Destiny, Fakoya Tobi Samuel, Owolabi Qudus Damilare, Isiaka Olajide Adebayo, Olawoyin Wasiu Olasunkanmi, Olawale Owolabi Abideen, Olayiwola Tunde Waheed, Kehinde Pelumi Abdulrauf, Okunlola Taoreed Abidoun, Okunlola Dolapo Mujeeb, Ademeso Raphael Olamide, Lawal Olajuwon Ridwan, Femi Dogo Oluremi, Ehinmowo Jeremiah Damilola, Joseph Isaac Justice, Enitan Tolulope John, Kolawole Toluwani Josaiah, Alo Ayokunnumi Emmanuel, Adetola Opeyemi Idris and Joshua Imole Shiyanbola.
Others are: Idowu Ezekiel David, Salau Abeeb Ayomide, Adeyemi Samuel Adeleke, Philip Olabode Olatunde, Fasanya Gbenga Tunde, Seun Ayomide Babatunde, Ogoayo Alabi Sijuola, Akanji Timothy Bidoun, Quadri Salami Oyindamola, Samuel Adeyemi Oluwatobi, Ogunyemi Gbolahan Opemiposi, Olabanjo Oluwafemi Olatunbosun, Paul Nneji Uche, Ayomiposi Clement Akinyimika, Abdullahi Mustapha Adisa, Ajetunmobi Azeez Olashile, Oluwaseun Adeyeye Adeniran and Onah Austine Ayomide.
The charge against Austine Ayomide reads: “That you, Onah Austine Ayomide ‘M’ on or about 28th March, 2024, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be a white woman by the name Linda Mary from United States of America, through your Facebook account (Linda Mary) to one Clifton Deininger, from United States of America, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence of personation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, following which prosecution counsel reviewed the facts of the cases, tendered incriminating documents and prayed the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Adeyemi convicted and sentenced Austin Ayomide to one-year of community service or to pay a fine of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), Tunde got a one-month jail term or to pay a fine of N250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), while Abeeb Ayomide, Adeleke, Babatunde, Biodun, Oyindamola, Oluwatobi, Olatunbosun, Uche, Akinyimika, Adisa, Olashile and Adeniran bagged six months community service each and to pay N50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) each in addition to their sentence, besides Abeeb Ayomide who was slammed with N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) in addition to his sentence. He slammed Sijuola with one month of community service or to pay a fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira). Olatunde and Opemiposi were handed three months of community service without an option of fine.
Justice Taiwo on his part convicted and sentenced Taoreed Abidoun to three months imprisonment, and Mujeeb to four months jail term, while Olasunkanmi and Abideen bagged six months community service each and were further ordered to pay a fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) each in addition their sentences.
He convicted and sentenced Gbolahan, Damilare, Adebayo and Abdulrauf to five months community service each and gave the latter a fine option of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira). Waheed and Samuel got four months of community service, and a fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira), while Destiny bagged two months community service.
Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Olamide, Oluremi, Damilola, Justice, Josaiah, Emmanuel and Shiyanbola bagged one-year jail term each or to pay a fine of N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira), N50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira), N75,000.00 (Seventy-five Thousand Naira), N75,000.00 (Seventy-five Thousand Naira), N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira), N120,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) and N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) respectively.
Damilola forfeited a green-colouredNissan Micra car with registration number: LSD–464–GU with Chassis Number: SJNFBAK11U3001751; Emmanuel forfeited a black-coloured Lexus IS 250 car with registration number: MUS–158–JHS and Justice forfeited a black-coloured Toyota Corolla car with registration number: FST–607–GN.
Justice Akintola convicted and sentenced Idris and David to six months community service each or to pay fines of N60,000.00 (Sixty Thousand Naira) and N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) respectively. Ridwan and John bagged three months community service each or to pay fines of N25,000.00 (Twenty-five Thousand Naira) and N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira) respectively.
The convicts forfeited all items recovered from them to the Federal Government.
All the convicts began their journey to prison when they were arrested in a sting operation for fraudulent internet activities.
A former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), Jimoh Yisawu, has been granted bail in the sum of ₦500 million by the Federal High Court in Abuja after pleading not guilty to an eight-count charge of alleged money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Yisawu was arraigned on Monday before Justice Inyang Ekwo in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/361/2026, over allegations that he violated the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
SEE MORE: EFCC Files Fraud Charges Against Ex-MDs of Warri, PH Refineries
According to the EFCC, the former refinery boss allegedly indirectly converted more than $789,950, said to be proceeds of unlawful activity, in contravention of Section 18(2)(b) of the Act and punishable under Section 18(3).
The anti-graft agency further alleged that Yisawu made cash payments exceeding $789,950 to one Samaila Bala without using any financial institution, contrary to Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
The commission also accused him of making additional cash payments totalling $122,600 through one Rasheed Olaitan Yusuf, also without routing the transactions through a financial institution.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all eight counts when they were read to him in court.
Following his plea, defence counsel Wale Balogun (SAN) urged the court to grant his client bail, noting that the EFCC had earlier released him on administrative bail after seizing his international passport.
Balogun appealed to the court to maintain the same bail conditions, arguing that his client needed to prepare adequately for his defence while out on bail.
However, prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN) opposed the application, urging the court to consider the EFCC’s counter-affidavit challenging the defendant’s request for bail.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that the offences contained in the charge were bailable and ruled that Yisawu was entitled to bail.
Relying on Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the judge granted the former WRPC boss bail in the sum of ₦500 million, with one surety in like sum.
The court ordered that the surety must be a responsible Nigerian with landed property in Abuja and must provide proof of ownership of the property.
Justice Ekwo also directed Yisawu to surrender his international passport and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria without prior approval from the court.
Pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the former refinery chief remain in the custody of the EFCC.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to October 25, 26 and 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has been granted bail in the sum of N20 million after pleading not guilty to a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Nnaji was arraigned on Monday before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the ICPC accused him of forging academic credentials, including a degree certificate allegedly issued by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The anti-corruption agency also alleged that the former minister presented a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate during his ministerial screening in 2023.
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The defendant, who served in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet as Minister of Science and Technology from August 16, 2023, until his resignation on October 6, 2025, denied all the allegations after the charges were read before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Following a bail application by his lead counsel, Chief James Onoja (SAN), the court admitted Nnaji to bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the surety must be a civil servant resident in Abuja and not below Grade Level 15. The court further directed the surety to depose to an affidavit of means.
As part of the bail conditions, the former minister was ordered to surrender his international passport and barred from travelling outside Nigeria without the court’s permission.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 21, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Nnaji’s arraignment followed his arrest by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on July 1, shortly after returning to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The ICPC had earlier confirmed that the arrest was carried out to facilitate investigations into the allegations against him.
The case is expected to proceed with the presentation of evidence when trial begins later this month.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned the immediate past Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Ahmed Dikko, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, over an alleged N1.32bn money laundering scheme linked to the rehabilitation of the state-owned refinery.
Dikko was docked before Justice Inyang Ekwo on a 12-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026 alongside Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited.
The former refinery boss, who headed the Port Harcourt refinery from March 2020 for about four years, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The EFCC alleged that Dikko laundered the sum of N1,322,839,112.70, said to be proceeds linked to contractors engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, through cash property purchases, undisclosed bank retentions, concealment of funds through third parties and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions.
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According to the anti-graft agency, one of the charges alleged, “That you, Ahmed Adamu Dikko… did directly make cash payment of the dollar equivalent of the sum of N218,375,000 to one Hadeija Bashir for the purchase of Plot 558, Abubakar Umar Street, Katampe Extension, Abuja without passing through a financial institution,” contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The commission further alleged in count eight, “That you Ahmed Adamu Dikko… on or about the 26th of June, 2023… disguised the origin of the sum of N328,710,337.50 paid into the GTBank Account… operated by Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited by OMSA Integrated Services Limited from the transactions involving NNPC Limited allocation of Vacuum Gas Oil for export when you knew that the said sum… constituted proceeds of unlawful activity.”
In count 11, the EFCC accused the former refinery boss of unlawfully converting foreign currency, alleging, “That you, Ahmed Adamu Dikko between October 2022 and May 2025, did convert the aggregate sum of $77,080 through Ibrahim Isa Yaro, which amount did not form part of your known lawful earnings as a former public officer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.”
Following his plea, defence counsel, Okechukwu Ajunwa (SAN), urged the court to admit his client to bail pending trial, while EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), opposed the application.
In a ruling, Justice Ekwo admitted Dikko to bail in the sum of N150m with one surety in like sum.
The judge held that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and own landed property valued at not less than the bail sum.
He also directed the defendant to surrender his international passport and ordered that he be remanded in EFCC custody until he fulfilled the bail conditions.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 12, 13 and 14, 2026, for trial.
Courtesy – The Punch
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