Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, has convicted and sentenced a Lokoja- based dancer, Achimugu Nelson Ojonoka and three others to 12 years imprisonment for cybercrime and possession of fraudulent funds.

The three other convicts are: Olarewaju John Olumide, Lukman Ahmed Musa and John Solomon.

They were jailed on Thursday, September 22, 2022 after pleading guilty to separate count charges, based on their arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The charge against Ojonoka reads

“That you, Achimogu Nelson Ojonoka, sometime between the Months of July 2021 and June 2022, in Lokoja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain the control of the sum of N204,894 (Two Hundred and Four Thousand, Eight Hundred Ninety Four Naira Only) in your Bank Account Number 1480934472, with the Name of Nelson Achimugu domiciled with Access Bank plc, which you knew to be proceeds of criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 17 (a) and (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment) Act, 2004”

Following their guilty pleas , EFCC Counsel, Aliyu Adebayo prayed the judge to convict and sentence the defendants.

Justice Sani, thereafter, convicted and sentenced Ojonota to three years imprisonment with an option of fine of N204,894 (Two Hundred and Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Four Naira ). The court ordered that his iPhone 7 plus recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Olumide bagged a jail term of three years with an option of fine of N300,0000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and forfeiture of his iPhone 12 to the government.

Musa was also convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of fine of N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira ). He forfeited his iPhone 11 to the government and made restitution of $700( Seven Hundred United States Dollars) to his victim.

Solomon also bagged a jail term of three years with an option of fine of N1, 045, 000 (One Million, Forty Five Thousand Naira ). He also forfeited his iPhone 11 promax to the government.

All the convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre, when they were arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC in connection with internet-related offences. They were subsequently charged to court and prosecuted.

Media & Publicity

September 22, 2022