A 21 years old Adeogun Timileyin Feranmi who hails from Abule-Egba, Abeokuta in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State has been convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment for offences bordering on internet related scam and personation.
The conviction followed the arraignment of the defendant by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one count charge before Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
Feranmi was among the thirty internet fraud suspects arrested during a sting operation by operatives of the EFCC on September 19, 2021 at Malete, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State following intelligence reports over their alleged involvements in internet fraud related offences.
The charge reads: “That you, Adeogun Timileyin Feranmi on or about the 20th day of October 2019 in Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Hannah Sanabria via your gmail address hannahsanabriah@gmail.com and in that guise communicated with one Reus Saints whom you induced to part with property to with: $1500 vide bitcoin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law”
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Rasheedat Alao, called a witness, whom she led in evidence to review the facts of the case. The witness, who is an operative of the Commission narrated the circumstances that led to the arrest of the defendant and tendered as exhibits one HP laptop and several fraudulent documents printed out from the defendant’s device, all which were admitted in evidence.
Alao, thereafter prayed the court to take judicial notice of the guilty plea entered by the defendant, his extra judicial statements as well as exhibit tendered and convict him as charged.
Justice Akinpelu in her judgment on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 upheld the submission of the prosecution that the EFCC had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The judge sentenced Feranmi to six months imprisonment with option of fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only). The court also ordered the forfeiture of the HP laptop recovered from the defendant to the Federal Government.