Ex-convict Docked for Another Cyber Fraud

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin yesterday arraigned a 29-year-old serial fraudster, Joshua Ajayi Oluwatobiloba, from Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State over offences bordering on impersonation and cyber fraud.

He was arraigned on four counts before the court. Oluwatobi had sometimes in June 2020 been convicted by Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the state High Court on similar offence.

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Oluwatobiloba on offences bordering on impersonation and cyber fraud.

However, after spending his jail terms at Mandala Correctional Centre, the convict went back to his vomit, and was again arrested by operatives of the EFCC, and brought before the court for justice.

Specifically, Oluwatobi’s arrest and prosecution was consequent upon a report alleging that he was impersonating as the Dean of Student Affairs, and as one Dr. Efuntayo Oluwatobi, a lecturer in the Chemistry Department of the University of Ilorin, to scam unsuspecting students seeking to pay school fees and get hostel accommodation.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the counts.

Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Rashidat Alao, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Centre pending trial.

Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar has adjourned until November 25, 2021, for review of the facts of the case, and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.

In another development, the EFCC also secured the conviction of four persons over internet fraud related offences.

The convicts are Afolabi Gafar, Yusuf Ridwan Ajibola, Eniola Abdulbashit, and Oludare Ifeoluwa Victor.

Gafar and Yusuf were convicted by Justice Adenike Akinpelu and Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the state High Court respectively, while the conviction of Abdulbashit and Oludare was secured before Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court in Ilorin.

Justice Akinpelu sentenced Gafar to six months imprisonment on count 1, 2 and 3, to run concurrently with option of fine of N100, 000 on count 1 and N150,000 each on count 2 and 3. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s phones used to perpetrate the crime and the money he raised as restitution.

Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Yusuf to six months imprisonment on count 1 and 2, which should be suspended. He ordered the convict to forfeit his Lexus car, which he bought from the proceeds of the crime and the Iphones used to perpetrate the crime.

In the same vein, Justice Sani sentenced Oludare and Abdulbashit to six months imprisonment each with option of fine of N200,000 on the lone count preferred against each of them.

The court also ordered that the phones and laptop used by the convicts to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the federal government.