By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on has convicted and sentenced a 19-year-old man, Marvelous Awolowo to 12 months imprisonment for offences bordering on cybercrime.

Marvelous, who hails from Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was arrested based on credible intelligence on October 23, 2022 at the International Airport, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Upon arrest, one infinix S5 lite phone was recovered from him. The phone was analysed and several fraudulent documents were printed from his emails.

Checks on his profile revealed that, Marvelous had impersonated one Evans Bryan and Sandra Katty using fictitious emails to swindle unsuspecting victims. Specifically, the convict defrauded Evan Bryan of the sum of $1000 after he deceived him to believe he had instructed one Blacck to send him $14,500.

Further findings revealed that the convict also acted as a “Picker” for his fellow internet fraudsters who he helped to receive illegally obtained funds through his bank account. It was also discovered that, between May 4, 2022 and October 23, 2022 a total sum of N13,713,400 (Thirteen Million, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Four Hundred Naira) suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities was paid to his UBA account.

Consequently, Marvelous was arraigned on two counts, to which he pleaded guilty, and following his guilty plea, counsel to the EFCC, Rashidat Alao, reviewed the facts of the case through a witness, Kamal Yahayah, who narrated the circumstances leading to the arrest of the defendant. Kamal, who is an operative of the EFCC tendered documents, which were admitted in evidence by the court.

Rashidat thereafter urged the court to convict the defendant based of his admittance of guilt and the evidence of the prosecution witness that was unchallenged by the defence.

Justice Yusuf said that, he had carefully considered the guilty plea by the defendant; his extra-judicial statement and the uncontroverted evidence before the court, and was convinced that there was merit in the prosecution’s case. Consequently, the judge pronounced Marvelous guilty on the two counts.

Thereafter, Justice Yusuf sentenced Marvelous to six months imprisonment on each of the two counts, to run concurrently with N100,000 as option of fine on each count.