Two internet fraudsters bag jail terms in Lagos

Bimbo Babatunde

The Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction and sentencing of the duo of Folarin Oyindamola and Chidera David for internet fraud before Justice O.A. Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

The convicts, who were among the suspected internet fraudsters arrested by the Commission between March and April this year, were arraigned separately on one count each bordering on possession of documents containing false pretence.

The count against Oyindamola reads: “Folarin John Oyindamola, sometime in 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, had in your possession fraudulent documents, wherein you falsely represented yourself as William Soderquist to unsuspecting members of the public, which representation was printed from your email accounts ashelyagelina1999@gmail.com, julietanderson302@gmail.com and tedmara949@gmail.com, the representation you knew or ought to have known to be fraudulent.”

However, the count against Chidera reads: “Chidera David, on or about the 19th day of March 2021, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly took in your possession a document containing false pretence in your Gmail Account, wherein you held yourself out as one ‘Leonard’ with email address captaincold6091@gmail.com which representation you knew to be false.”

The defendants separately pleaded “guilty” to the charge filed against them.

Following their pleas, the prosecution, led by Franklin Ofoma, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered relevant documents to prove the case against them.

Justice Taiwo sentenced Oyindamola to six months in prison with an option of N200,000 fine, and jailed David nine months, with an option of N250,000 fine.