Abuja, Feb 15, 2023: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday secured the conviction of one Olanrewaju Temitope, at a Kaduna State High, Court 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 (a social media application), to deliver to you the sum of 400 USD (400 dollars).
“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 the prosecuting counsel, P.C Onyeneho, urged the court to convict the defendant accordingly.
Justice Bello convicted and sentenced the defendant to five years imprisonment, with an option to pay N100,000 as fine.
In addition, the convict is to forfeit his Infinix Zero X mobile phone, with IMEI number 351240990699206, and 3512400990699214, which was used to commit the crime, to the Federal Government 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 defraud unsuspecting victims, mostly American residents, of their hard earned money.
