By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Adenike Akinpelu of Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has convicted a
29-year-old internet fraudster, Ademola Adebukola alias “Holy Ghost” on four counts charge bordering on “cheating and attempt to cheat”.
Justice Akinpelu sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment on each of the four counts after he pleaded guilty to all the counts.
The charge was brought against him by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, the sentences are to run concurrently from September 14, 2020.
The court further ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s iPhone 5 and Dell Laptop to the federal government, being the instrumentalities he used to perpetrate the said crime.
One of the counts of the charge against the convict reads:
“That you, Ademola Adebukola, sometime in 2018, at Ilorin, within the Judicial Division of the Kwara State High Court while acting as Blackmore G. Scott a.k.a Holy Ghost with email address holyghost643@gmail.com did attempt to cheat one Sherri Reed by fraudulently inducing her to deliver the sum of $3,500 (Three Thousand, Five Hundred United States Dollars) to you under the guise of being in a romantic relationship with her and in need of money to clear goods at the Seaport and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code”.
Another count reads: “That you, Ademola Adebukola, sometime in July 2020, at Ilorin, within the Judicial Division of the Kwara State High Court while acting as David Frenchman with email address msccruiseworld@gmail.com did attempt to cheat by personation when you presented yourself to one Wanda Smith of wsmith1166@yahoo.com as being a Caucasian Male in romantic relationship with her, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code.”
In a related development, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal office on Wednesday January 20, arrested seven young men over alleged involvement in internet fraud.
Their arrest at Olomi area of Ibadan was sequel to intelligence received from concerned members of the public on their alleged criminal activities.
Items recovered from the suspects include two vehicles, mobile devices and laptops.
According to the Commission, the suspects are undergoing further interrogation, and the indicted will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
