By Saidu Idris
A Federal High Court in Ibadan has sentenced two students to 13 months imprisonment for internet fraud.
The Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Opeyemi Folarin, an HND II student of the Polytechnic of Ibadan and Ajibola Ogunseye, a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, with impersonation.
In two separate judgments, Justice Patricia Ajoku, held that she convicted and sentenced Folarin and Ogunseye based on the evidence tendered before her as well as the plea bargain agreement they had with the EFCC.
“This judgment is in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, that provides for anyone who enters a plea bargain agreement to be given a reduced sentence.
“Consequently, Folarin is sentenced to six months in prison and Ogunseye is sentenced to seven months in prison.
“All the exhibits found in possession of the convicts are forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Ajoku ordered.
Earlier, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Mabas Maburb, told the court that the convicts were each arraigned on one-count amended charge bordering on impersonation.
Mabas said that Folarin and Ogunseye committed the crime sometime in 2020 in Ibadan.
The exhibits found in possession of the convicts include an orange coloured iPhone XR, an iPhone VI, an an Apple series VI wristwatch, four game pads and cash of 700 dollars.
The EFCC said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 22(2) (B) of the cyber crime prohibition and prevention Act 2015.
(With agency report)