By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

In a landmark judgment that underscores the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) intensified crackdown on cybercrime, Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has sentenced a 23-year-old serial internet fraudster, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, to 24 months imprisonment without the option of fine.

Olalekan, a native of Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was convicted after he was found guilty of the two-count charge of offences bordering on cybercrime, including cheating and impersonation preferred against him by the Ilorin Zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of N124,402,322 (One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million, Four Hundred and Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-Two Naira) found in Olalekan’s Wema Bank account, a white Mercedes Benz ML350 valued at N30 million, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max used in perpetrating the crimes.

The convict was accused of impersonating many foreign nationals including Joshua Compbell Novak, through fake Gmail and TextPlus accounts between August and December 2024. Through these fraudulent identities, he defrauded victims, including Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess, of $100,000 and $1,000, respectively.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, between August 2024 and December 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Joshua Compbell Novak via your Gmail account and TextPlus number with the intent to obtain a total sum of $100,000 from Allisa Motazedi, which you did obtain, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(IV) of the same Act.”

Olalekan pleaded guilty to both counts.

Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, led an investigating officer, Paul Aniebonam, in evidence narrating how the convict created fake online profiles to deceive and defraud unsuspecting foreign victims.

Aniebonam confirmed to the court that proceeds of the fraudulent activities were used to acquire the luxury vehicle in October 2024, while over N124 million in his bank account was traced to similar illicit transactions. He also tendered key exhibits including the bank statement, car documents, mobile device, and four extra-judicial statements made by the defendant.

Justice Awogboro sentenced Olalekan to 12 months imprisonment on each count, to run consecutively. The court also granted the final forfeiture of all traced assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The case originated from a report by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which alerted the EFCC to Olalekan’s cyber criminal activities.