An undergraduate of Ekiti State University, Ojo Olanrewaju Ayomide, was on Wednesday convicted of internet fraud and sentenced to three months imprisonment.
The sentence was handed down by Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The trial judge, however, gave Ayomide an option N200,000 fine and ordered him to “depose to an affidavit of undertaking to be of good behaviour”.
He also ruled that all items recovered from him, including a Samsung Galaxy S9, should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arrested Ayomide for alleged involvement in internet fraud.
The 22-year-old accounting student of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cyber crime.
The charge read: “That you, Ojo Olarewaju Ayomide, sometime in 2019 at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State impersonates Scot, a Civil Engineer based in Miami, Florida, USA with intent to gain advantage for himself and thereby committed on offence contrary to section 22(2)(b)(ii)of the Cybercrimes Prohibition (Prevention) Act 2015 and punishable under section 22 (2)(b)(iv)of the same law.”
He pleaded guilty to the charge and counsel to the EFCC, Maryam Hayatudeen, informed the court of a plea bargain agreement with the defence, urging the trial court to adopt same.
Defence counsel, Charles Abalaka, raised no objections but pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.