The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, 1st February 2021 arraigned a serving NYSC member, Sam Abiola and one Adebiyi Sodiq on separate charges bordering on love scam before Justice Adenike Akinpelu of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Abiola, who is currently serving in Kogi State, was arraigned on one count charge, while four counts were preferred against Sodiq, to which they pleaded guilty.

The charge against Abiola reads:"That you, Sam Abiola ( Missie Bonie) sometime between July, 2019 and September, 2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Missie Bonie a white female with gmail account,missiebo271@gmail.com, and fraudulently deceived one Rick to send $550 (Five Hundred and Fifty Dollars) to you through gift card after you made him believe you were in love with him and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code".

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For Sodiq, count three of the charge reads: "That you, Adebiyi Sodiq, (Alias: Maria Monica sometime in the month of August 2020, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation via your email address terrellwhite856@gmail.com to one Manny, by portraying yourself as a white female named Maria and induced him to send you his Cash App, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 324 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same Section of the Law".

Upon Abiola's guilty plea, Ali Mohammed, an operative of the EFCC said the defendant was arrested based on the anonymous petition received by the Commission on the activities of fraudsters around Offa area of Kwara State.

Documents showing fraudulent messages printed out of the email of the defendant were tendered and admitted in evidence.

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In a similar case, Eze Uchenna, an operative of the anti-graft agency explained the defendant's involvement in the alleged offence and tendered documents which were admitted in evidence.

Justice Akinpelu hereby adjourned the case till 11 February for final judgement.

It would be recalled that the Ilorin Zonal Office of the EFCC on 14th September 2019 executed an operation at Offa in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State where about 33 suspected fraudsters were arrested for various offences bordering on internet fraud.

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