The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 secured the conviction and sentence of seven internet fraudsters before Justice D.I.Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The convicts are: Azeez Aliu Olalekan, Tijani Babatunde, David Damilola Ogunmuyiwa, Agada Prosper Osinakachukwu, Awwal Mashood, Amusa Wareez Oluwatobi and Olujimi Damilola.
They are are among the 93 suspected fraudsters arrested during a sting operation on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at a hotel within the precincts of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The suspects were arraigned on Wednesday on separate charges bordering on impersonation, identify and internet fraud.
The charge against Olalekan reads: “That you, AZEEZ ALIU OLALEKAN, (male) between 2020 and 2025 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently opened a Gmail Account, wherein you represented yourself as Mary Latham, a United States of America citizen, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) (a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015.”
The charge against Babatunde reads: “
That you, Tijani Babatunde (male), sometime in 2025, within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently held out yourself on your Whatsapp account, as Beth Lee an American Female Citizen, to unsuspecting members of the public, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015.”
The charge against Ogunmuyiwa reads: “That you, DAVID DAMILOLA OGUNMUYIWA, (Male) ,between January 2025 and August 2025 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently opened a Facebook Account, wherein you represented yourself as Mountain Girls Sarah, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) (a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015.”
The charge against OSINAKACHUKWU, reads: “That you, AGADA PROSPER OSINAKACHUKWU, on or about the 10th August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and with an intent to gain advantage, held out yourself as “Rachel Starr”, through Facebook Account @rachel.sterr.214930 to unsuspecting members of the public, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015.”
The charge against Moshood reads: “That you AWAL MOSHOOD, on or about the 10th August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and with intent to gain advantage, held out yourself as “Miss Mary Moody”, through Facebook Account @moody_mary8270 to unsuspecting victims , wherein you gain financial benefit to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2015.”
The charge against Oluwatobi reads: “That you, Amusa Warees Oluwatobi, sometime in August, 2025 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held out yourself on Instagram page; @will.parfittofficial as Will Parfitt, a British content creator, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, 2015.”
The charge against Damilola reads: “That you, Olujimi Damilola, sometime in August, 2025 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held out yourself on Facebook as Karlee Grey, a white female with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, 2015.”
They each pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them.
In view of their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Pereagbe Ebareotu, Ayanfe Olowonihi and S.M. Yabo, called on called Babatunde Osodi-Glover, Adamu Yakubu, Eze Chijioke, Collins Izuchukwu and Bamanga Mohammed, who are all investigative officers of the EFCC, to review the facts of the cases, respectively.
The prosecution counsel, thereafter, respectively sought to tender, in evidence, the extra-judicial statements of the defendants; Olalekan’s iPhone 16 pro max, Samsung S10 E and N1.2m bank draft issued as restitution ; Babatunde’s iPhone 13 and N4m bank draft issued as restitution; Ogunmuyiwa’s iphone 16 and N70,000 bank draft issued as restitution; Prosper’s iPhone 12 Pro max; Moshood’s iPhone 11 and N400, 000 bank draft issued as restitution; Oluwatobi’s iPhone 13 and N200,000 bank draft raised as restitution; Damilola’s iPhone 12 and the N1m bank draft raised as restitutions as well as the forensic investigation documents printed from their mobile devices.
They were all admitted as exhibits by the court.
The defence counsel, respectively, most passionately prayed the court to “ temper justice with mercy,” and grant their clients non- custodial sentences, adding that they were first-time offenders who have shown remorse.
Delivering judgment,Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Olalekan, who confessed to have benefited the sum of $1,500 ( One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars) to three months imprisonment , with the option of fine of N500,000( Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
The Judge ordered that the mobile devices recovered from him as well as the N1.2m manager’s cheque raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Dipeolu also convicted and sentenced Babatunde , who confessed to have benefited between N5m and N10m from his criminal activities, to three months
imprisonment, with the option of fine of N1m ( One Million Naira ).
The Judge ordered that the iPhone 13 recovered from him as well as the N4m manager’s cheque be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Ogunmuyiwa, who confessed to have benefited the sum of N70,000 ( Seventy Thousand Naira) from his criminal activities, was convicted and sentenced to one month imprisonment, with the option of fine of N200,000( Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
His iPhone 16 and the N70,000 manager’s check raised as restitution were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Judge also convicted and sentenced Osinakachukwu to three months imprisonment, with the option of fine of N200,000( Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
His iPhone 12 Pro max was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Dipeolu also convicted and sentenced Moshood, who confessed to have benefited the sum of 600 Australian Dollars, to three months imprisonment, with the option of fine of N750,000.
The Judge also ordered that his iPhone 11 and the N400,000 manager’s cheque raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Also, the Judge convicted and sentenced Oluwatobi, who confessed to have benefited the sum of $200 USD, to three months imprisonment, with the option of fine of N300,000.
The Judge ordered that the iPhone 13 recovered from him as well as the N200,000 manager’s cheque raised as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Dipeolu also convicted and sentenced Damilola, who confessed to have benefited the sum of $150 USD , to six months imprisonment, with the option of fine of N6m.
The Judge also ordered that his iPhone 12 and the N1m manager’s cheque be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
