Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Tuesday sentenced two suspects to six months imprisonment over internet fraud and other fraud related offences.
The convicts, Paul Chibueze Meshak and Babatunde Muhammed Bashir, were earlier arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on separate charges.
The charge against Babatunde read: ” That you, Babatunde Mohammed Bashir on or about the 20th day of September, 2019 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kwara State, did attempt to cheat by personation, when you represented yourself as a Detective and requested one Mr Elian Torres Saucedo to send $500 gift card to you, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary contrary to section 95 of the penal code and punishable under section 324 of the same penal code.”
The charge against Paul read: ” That you, Paul Chibueze Meshack ( Alias Robert Hicks) sometime in June, 2019, at Ilorin within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, did attempt to cheat by personation, when you pretended to be one Robert Hicks of the HR Department of Amerigroup Corporation with gmail account: roberthickstheman@gmail.com and in that guise communication with one Jessica Winter of Wiltshire England vide gmail hangout with jess winter, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 95 of the penal code and punishable under section 324 of the same penal code.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
In his ruling, Justice Oyinloye said the evidence of the Sole Prosecution witness, Olamide Sadiq, an operative of the EFCC was not challenged nor controverted by the defendants.
He therefore sentenced each defendants to six months imprisonment with no option of fine.
“Paul’s sentence is to commence from 21st of October 2019 while Babatunde’s sentence would commence 5th of September 2019, the day of their arrest,” the Judge added.