Court Convicts Another Three Cybercriminals Arrested At Obasanjo Library Complex

The fight against cybercrime recorded another milestone this week as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the conviction of three internet fraudsters arrested within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex in Abeokuta.

The trio — Adewale Adewole Adenekan, Oyatokun Damilola Qudus, and Adisa Okikiade — were arraigned before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, sitting as a vacation judge. They all pleaded guilty to separate one-count charges filed against them by the EFCC.

Prosecution counsel, Mr. Yobo, told the court that the defendants were apprehended at a hotel inside the OOPL complex where they engaged in online impersonation schemes designed to defraud unsuspecting victims.

In one instance, Adenekan admitted to posing online as a white woman from the United States, an identity he used to obtain financial advantage. He confirmed that N200,000 had already been restituted to the victim. An iPhone 14 Pro Max recovered from him was tendered in evidence and admitted by the court. Justice Dipeolu sentenced him to one month in prison, with an option of a ?300,000 fine.

Similarly, Qudus was convicted for operating a fake Instagram account, @ericmelissa, through which he impersonated a white female character. He received the same sentence: one month imprisonment with an option of a ?300,000 fine.

Okikiade was also convicted on a charge of online impersonation. The court sentenced him to one month imprisonment, with the option of a fine.

The convictions were based on Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, which criminalizes fraudulent online impersonation.

The EFCC has consistently warned against the rising tide of cyber-enabled fraud, stressing that such convictions underscore its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s image and protecting potential victims of online scams.