A High Court sitting in Kaduna State on Wednesday, February 15, sentenced one Olanrewaju Temitope to five years imprisonment for internet fr@ud.
The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrime.
EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement in Abuja said that Temitope pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted by Justice A.A. Bello accordingly.
The charge reads: “That you, Olanrewaju Temitope ‘M’, sometimes between January, 2022 and July, 2022 in Kaduna, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, dishonestly induced one Elexis McCrills on Instagram, to deliver to you the sum of $400.
When you portrayed yourself to be Lisa Marie Boothe (a female which you knew you were not) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017, and punishable under Section 309 of the Same Law.”
Temitope pleaded guilty to the charge, and Justice Bello convicted and sentenced him to five years imprisonment, with an option to pay N100,000 as fine.
In addition, the convict is to forfeit his phone which was used to commit the crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Temitope was arrested during a sting operation at his hideout, located on Joel Bala Street, Gbagyi Villa, Kaduna.
The EFCC stated that investigation revealed that he operated a fake Facebook and Instagram account, where he assumed the identity of one Lisa Marie, to defr@ud unsuspecting victims, mostly American residents, of their hard earned money.
