Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin, presided over by Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar has sentenced one Arowosegbe Feranmi who impersonated as a citizen of Germany and defraud unsuspecting members of the Public to 12 months Imprisonment.
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Crimes Commission, EFCC, had dragged Arowosegbe Feranmi,before the court on two count charges to which the defendant pled guilty when the charges were read to him.
In the charge the defendant Arowosegbe Feranmi (ALIAS BETTY JOE) was alleged to have sometime in August 2021, in Ilorin, cheated by Impersonation when he pretended to be Betty Joe, a white female, resident in United States of American, with Gmail Account bettyjoe338@gmail.com .
The charge said the defendant induced one Joluko, a German Citizen, to send Three Hundred Euros to him Via Gift Card and that the offence contravene Section 321 to the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code.’’
Following his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Rashidat Alao, drew the attention of the court to a plea bargain agreement entered by the defendant with the Commission.
She urged the court to consider the plea of guilt entered by the defendant, his extra-judicial statements and the uncontroverted testimonies of the sole prosecution witness to convict defendant in line with the plea bargain agreements and the provisions of the law.
In his judgement Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar convicted and sentenced Arowosegbe to six months imprisonment on each of the two counts to run concurrently at Mandala Correctional Centre.
The court held that the convict is to forfeit the iPhone 11 used to perpetrate the crime and the sum of N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira), which he benefited from the crime to the Federal Government.
COV/ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU
