A State High Court in Ilorin convicted five persons on Wednesday after they were found guilty of internet fraud and related offences.

The Ilorin zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the conviction.

The convicts include Olamilekan Quadri from Ijebu Ode in Ogun; Oladele John from Ijero Local Government Area (LGA) of Ekiti; Abiodun Abiola from Sapati-Ile, Asa LGA of Kwara; Ishola Orimadegun from Lagos State, and Kayode Awolola from Inisha, Odo-Otin LGA of Osun.

The presiding judge, Justice Mahmoud Abdulgafar, sentenced Mr Quadri to 12 months imprisonment, which would be suspended and ordered the forfeiture of his two phones, along with a payment of $800 to the federal government.

Mr John was sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option of a fine of N350,000. He is also to forfeit $250 and an iPhone 12 to the federal government.

Mr Abiola was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, which would be suspended, and ordered to forfeit an iPhone 7, along with a payment of N210,000 to the federal government.

Mr Orimadegun was sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option of a fine of N150,000. He was also ordered to forfeit an iPhone 12 and pay $400 to the federal government.

Mr Akinpelu sentenced Mr Awolola to six months imprisonment with an option of a fine of N100,000. He is also to forfeit an iPhone 13, one Dell Laptop, and $40 to the federal government.

Following their “guilty plea”, Aliyu Adebayo, Andrew Akoja and Isabel Adeniran, who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the commission narrated the circumstances which led to the arrest of the defendants.

They tendered the extra-judicial statements and items recovered from the defendants at the point of arrest as exhibits, which were admitted in evidence.

(NAN)