Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted and sentenced one Adenuga Elijah to one year imprisonment for internet fraud. He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Nigerian Mint charge Board on commercial charges for cybercrimes.
The count reads: ” That you, ADENUGA ELIJAH OLUWADAMILARE, (Male) on the 12th day of November, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held out yourself on GOOGLE as Pearl Xavier, with 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,
2015.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel Abdulhamid L. Tukur called on Adams Adze, an EFCC operative, to review the facts of the matter.
Adze told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in November 2024, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of a syndicate of internet fraudsters operating in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
He also stated that an iPhone 12 Pro Max and an HP laptop computer were recovered from him at the point of arrest.
“Upon his arrest, he was duly processed and the defendant volunteered his statements. Investigations were conducted and forensic evidence was printed out from his phone. In his statement, he confessed he was into a dating scam and that he had benefited the sum of $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars),” he further told the court.
Continuing, Adze informed the court that the defendant had made restitution of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) via a bank draft.
Tukur, thereafter, sought to tender, in evidence, the defendant’s extrajudicial statements, iPhone, HP laptop computer and forensic investigation document printout.
They were admitted as exhibits by the court.
