Ogizien Unilorin student, KWASU's Muritala jailed for cybercrime

Joshua Ogizien of UNILORIN and Muritala Toheeb of KWASU jailed for cyber crimes

Joshua Ogizien of UNILORIN and Muritala Toheeb of KWASU jailed for cyber crimes

By Funmilola Olukomaiya

Joshua Ogizien, a 400 level student of the University of Ilorin and Toheeb Muritala, a Computer Science Student of the Kwara State University, KWASU, were among four persons sentenced for cyber crimes Tuesday.

They were docked by the EFCC for offences bordering on internet fraud before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

The other convicts were Rasheed Afeez Temitope, a graduate of Bartholomew College of Health Technology, Shao and one Olaoluwa Samuel from Lagelu Local Government of Oyo State

Operatives of the EFCC swung into action following credible intelligence reports on the activities of fraudsters swindling unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money within Ilorin and its environs.

In the process, the operatives arrested the convicts at various locations within the metropolis.

The other convicts Olaoluwa Samuel and Rasheed Temitope
The other convicts Olaoluwa Samuel and Rasheed Temitope

The convicts volunteered statements and confessed to the crimes.

Consequently, the suspects were arraigned on separate charges on Monday, August 2, 2021 where they pleaded guilty.

Instruments used in committing the crime such as phones, laptops including the fraudulent messages printed from their phones and laptops, as well as, their confessional statements were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court.

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Justice Abdulgafar, delivering judgment on the cases today, said based on the plea of guilt entered by the defendants, the unchallenged testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and all the exhibits tendered, the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubts.

Consequently, the judge sentenced Joshua to one year imprisonment, which should be suspended for one year and ordered the forfeiture of the devices recovered from him including the draft of N79,000 (Seventy Nine Thousand Naira) which he raised as restitution to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Toheeb to one year imprisonment, which should be suspended for one year and ordered that the devices used to perpetrate the crime and the draft of N220,000, which he raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge also sentenced Rasheed to six months imprisonment each on the two counts preferred against him, which will run concurrently.

While the court ordered the suspension of the sentences by one year to enable the convict complete his education at KWASU, the devices recovered from him were forfeited to the Federal Government.

In the same vein, Olaoluwa was sentenced to a term of one year imprisonment on count one with option of fine of N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) and one year imprisonment on count two without an option of fine.

According to the judge, “the sentences are to be suspended for a term of one year, while the convict’s two phones and a draft of N32,000 (Thirty Two Thousand Naira), which he raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government”.

Justice Abdulgafar also ordered that the convicts should be reporting to ASP Towoju Azeez of Mandala Correctional Centre during the period of the suspension of sentences.

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