The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of five persons to different jail terms for internet-related offences.

They were jailed by Justices Mahmoud Abdulgafar and Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge preferred against them by the EFCC.

The convicts are Quadri Musibau Olamilekan, John Adamson Oladele, Abiola Gbolahan Abiodun, Orimadegun Ishola and Kayode Aderemi Awolola.

One of the count charges reads: "That you, Quadri Misbau Olamilekan, sometime between July 2022 and May 2022 or thereabout, in Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did knowingly have under your control the sum of N6,505,000 (Six Million Five Hundred and Five Thousand Naira Only) in your Carbon Limited account with the name Quadri Olamilekan which is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishment under Section 319 (A) of the Penal Code Law"

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them. Following their guilty pleas, EFCC’s counsels: Aliyu Adebayo, Andrew Akoja and Isabel Adeniran, prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

The two Justices in their verdict agreed with the prosecution and pronounced the defendants guilty.

Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Olamilekan to twelve months imprisonment, which would be suspended and ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s two phones and the sum of $800 (Eight Hundred United States Dollars) to the Federal Government. In the same vein, the court sentenced Oladele to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N350,000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and ordered that the sum of $250 (Two Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and one iPhone 12 belonging to the convict be forfeited to the government.

Justice Abdulgafar equally sentenced Abiodun to twelve months imprisonment, which would be suspended and ordered the forfeiture of one iPhone 7 belonging to him and the sum of N210,000 (Two Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira Only) to the government.

 The judge also sentenced Ishola to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and ordered that the convict’s iPhone 12 and the sum of $400 (Four Hundred United States Dollars) be forfeited to the government.

Justice Akinpelu also sentenced Awolola to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s iPhone 13, one Dell Laptop and the sum of $40 (Forty United States Dollars) to the government.

The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre started when they were arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences. They were charged to court and convicted.