The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a 29-year-old serial fraudster, Joshua Ajayi Oluwatobiloba, from Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State over offences bordering on impersonation and cyber fraud.
He was arraigned on four counts before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
Oluwatobi, had been convicted sometimes in June 2020 by Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court over similar offence.
After spending his jail terms at Mandala Correctional Centre, the convict went back to his vomit, and was again arrested by operatives of the EFCC and brought before the court for justice.
Oluwatobi’s arrest and prosecution was consequent upon a report alleging that he was impersonating as the Dean Student Affairs, and as one Dr. Efuntayo Oluwatobi, a lecturer in the Chemistry Department, University of Ilorin, to scam unsuspecting students seeking to pay school fees and get hostel accommodation.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the counts.
Justice Abdulgafar has adjourned until Thursday, November 25, 2021 for review of the facts of the case and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
In a related development, the Command has also secured the conviction of four persons over internet fraud related offences.
The Convicts are Afolabi Gafar, Yusuf Ridwan Ajibola, Eniola Abdulbashit and Oludare Ifeoluwa Victor.
Gafar and Yusuf were convicted by Justice Adenike Akinpelu and Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, while the conviction of Abdulbashit and Oludare were secured before Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court, Ilorin.
Justice Akinpelu sentenced Gafar to six months imprisonment on count 1, 2 and 3, to run concurrently with option of fine of N100,000 on count 1 and N150,000 each on count 2 and 3.
Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Yusuf to six months imprisonment on count 1 and 2.
In the same vein, Justice Sani sentenced Oludare and Abdulbashit to six months imprisonment each with option of fine of N200,000 on the lone count preferred against each of them.
The court also ordered that the phones and laptop used by the convicts to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government.
COV/ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU