By Internet Fraud: UNILORIN Final Year Student Jailed
Leshi Adebayo
On 29, July, 2021, a final year student, Ajani Samuel, of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has been sentenced to 2 years in a correctional facility by a Kwara State High Court Sitting in Ilorin. This conviction was based on cybercrime and romance scam criminal offences.
The Ilorin Zonal Office of Them Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured this conviction. Justice Sikiru Oyinloye claimed that the court considered the evidence placed before it and the guilty plea entered by Ajani Samuel. In his words, “The evidence of the sole prosecution witness remained credible and reliable, even after the cross-examination. This Honourable Court holds the view that the prosecution has succeeded in proving its case beyond reasonable doubts. The defendant is hereby convicted as charged.”
The court sentenced Samuel to 6 months imprisonment on count one with N50,000 as option of fine. The defendant was sentenced to two years imprisonment on count two with N200,000 as an option of fine. The sentences will run simultaneously, according to the court. The offence he committed is punishable under Section 319A of the Penal Code.
Also, the court ordered the forfeiture of the defendant’s iPhones, laptop and manager’s bank cheque of N100,000 raised as restitution by the defendant to his victims.
However, cases of internet scam have been frequent and some have been traced to UNILORIN. Another case in this category was that of a 25 year old UNILORIN final year student, Giwa Nurudeen who was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for ₦35m internet scam, early July, 2021.
