BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Headquarters, on Monday, secured 13 convictions in different trials at the federal and state High Courts in Ibadan and Osogbo, capitals of Oyo and Osun states.
The convicts, who were prosecuted in separate cases, are Abiodun Sowunmi, Adeyemi Hammed, Abeeb Badmus, Adebayo Saheed, Ganiyu Olawale and Omolade Moses.
Others are Taofeeq Atanda, Oyekanmi Oyewale, Alabi Olamide, B.T.D Multi Global Limited, Adewuyi Adetoun, Owolabi Tolulope and Taiwo Akpoyen.
Justice Uche Agomoh of Federal High Court, Ibadan, found Sowunmi, Olawale, Omolade and Badmus guilty of offence bothering on impersonation contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(1) Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b) of the Act.
While Sowunmi and Olawale were sentenced to 10 months imprisonment each, Omolade and Badmus bagged nine and six months imprisonment respectively.
Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, convicted Alabi, Atanda, Oyekanmi, Adeyemi and Adebayo in separate charges of obtaining property by false pretence contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The judge sentenced Alabi to a term of three months community service, while Atanda, Adeyemi, Adebayo and Oyekanmi bagged two months community service each.
Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of Federal High Court, Osogbo found B.T.D Multiglobal Limited guilty of counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 preferred against them by the EFCC.
In December 2017, the Commission received a petition alleging B.T.D Multiglobal Limited and Adewumi of fraudulently misappropriating N1billion from about 8,000 investors.
The court, while ordering the revocation of the certificate of incorporation of the company, ordered that the Corporate Affairs Commission should wind its operations up.
The judge said, “The proceeds therefrom, as well as the sum of N32million recovered in the course of investigation, should be used to pay the investors.”
Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, said that the judge also found Adewuyi, who claimed to be 20 year-old and a student of Federal University of Technology, Akure as at the time the offence was committed, guilty of counts 1 and 2 and was slammed with three-year-imprisonment for each of the two counts, to run concurrently.
Ayo-Emmanuel also sentenced Akpoyen to 10 months imprisonment over fraudulent impersonation, while ordering a prison term of six years on Owolabi for impersonation and illegal possession of documents.
The convicts are to restitute their victims and forfeit the items recovered from them to the Federal Government.
