A 400-level undergraduate of the University of Ilorin, Akinsanya Ridwan, has been sentenced to three months community service for romance scam.
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Monday ruled that Ridwan would clear the drainage at Bekind filing Station near Tipper Garage, Tanke, up to the gate of the University of Ilorin for three months, commencing from September 2, 2020.
Ridwan was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on internet fraud and other fraud-related offences by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC).
The charge read: “That you, Akinsanya Ridwan (a.k.a Alex James) sometime in March, 2020 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court attempted to commit an offence of cheating by impersonation by pretending and representing yourself to be a white man called Alex James to an unsuspected white woman, Stewart Sonia on a dating site called Hangout as it is contained in your gmail account: alexjames789123@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.”
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
While reviewing the facts of the case, Mahmoud Ibrahim Hamman, an Assistant Detective Superintendent with the EFCC, told the court that the defendant was arrested on March 16, 2020, at Pipeline, behind Princess Hotel, Ilorin.
He stated that a search was conducted in Ridwan’s house and one Galaxy phone and laptop were recovered. After being analysed, an email box where several fraudulent messages were sent was discovered.”
Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Oyinloye convicted and sentenced the defendant, based on exhibits tendered and the proof of evidence brought before the court.
He said the convict should get a notice of clearance from the Registrar of the University of Ilorin and the Kwara State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, adding that failure to do so would attract six months imprisonment.
The court also ordered Ridwan to pay a fine of N50,000 in addition to the community service.