The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, August 22, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of five more internet fraudsters before Justice D.I.Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The convicts are: Jinadu Rasaq Gbemisola, Salako Peter Kunle, Adeshina Kehinde Ibrahim, Olawale Quam Alao and Oladele Opeyemi.
They are among the 93 suspected fraudsters arrested during a sting operation on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at a hotel within the precincts of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
They were arraigned on Friday on one-count separate charges bordering on impersonation, identity and internet fraud.
Some of the charges reads: ”That you, Jinadu Rasaq Gbemisola, sometime on or about 10th August, 2025 in Nigeria,within the Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, fraudulently held out yourself on Facebook account titled “Daniel Lamon”, a woman, in order to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) (a) (c) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition etc) Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015.”
Another charge reads: “That you , Salako Peter Kunle, on or about the 10th August 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and with a dishonest intent, held out yourself as “Karen Crowe” (female) through your Gmail Account; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to various unsuspecting members of the public and procured financial benefit to yourself, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act. 2015.”
Another charge reads:” That you, Adeshina Kehinde Ibrahim (male), sometime in August, within the Lagos jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently held out yourself out on ‘Bigo Live’ as one Natasha Smith’, with the intention to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2025.”
They each pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Godsent Akhanolu, S.M.Yabo and Ayanfe Olowonihi, called on EFCC’s Investigagors Taiwo Owolabi, Muhammad Sani Raji and Adamu Yakubu, who respectively reviewed the facts of the cases.
The prosecution counsel, thereafter, respectively sought to tender, in evidence, the extra-judicial statements of the defendants; the N525,999 manager’s cheque raised as restitution by Gbemisola; Kunle’s iPhone 15 pro max ; Alao’s one Samsung phone and the N500,000 manager’s cheque issued as restitution as well as the forensic investigation documents printed from their mobile devices.
They were all admitted as exhibits by the court.
The judge, in view of the defendants’ guilty pleas and evidence tendered by the prosecution, found them guilty and convicted them accordingly.
The defence counsel, O.O. Akintoye, Ifeoma Ubabudu, A.O. Idowu, D.I. Oluseyi and D.Y. Oluwole, respectively, prayed the court to “temper justice with mercy,” and grant their clients non- custodial sentences, adding that they were first-time offenders who have shown remorse.
Delivering judgment, Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Gbemisola, who confessed to have benefited the sum of $350 Dollars( Three Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) to three months imprisonment , with an option of fine of N300,000( Three Hundred Thousand Naira).
The judge also ordered that the N525,999 manager’s cheque raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Dipeolu also convicted and sentenced Kunle , who confessed to have benefited $8,900 Dollars =( Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars) from his criminal activities, to one year imprisonment from the day of his arrest, with the option of fine of N5,000,000 ( Five Million Naira ).
The Lexus Rx 350 he acquired with the proceeds of his criminal activities was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge also convicted and sentenced Ibrahim to one month community service at the EFCC office.
Alao, who confessed to have benefited the sum of $600( Six Hundred United States Dollars) was sentenced to two months community service at the EFCC office.
The judge further ordered that the Samsung phone recovered from Alao and the N500,000 manager’s cheque issued as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge convicted and sentenced Opeyemi to two months community service to be carried out between 8am and 5pm at the EFCC office.
Media & Publicity
August 22, 2025
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