Two serial internet fraudsters – Paul Damilola Olowoparija and Olaleye David Tobi – were asked to pay for their ‘sins’ in Ibadan on Friday, March 15, 2019 when Justice P.I. of the Federal High Court pronounced them guilty and sentenced to jail terms.
The judge sent them to six months and four months in prison respectively, with effect from January 31, 2019 when they were arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The sentencing followed plea bargain they separately entered into with the anti-graft agency, which led to the amendment of their charges to lone-charge.
The charged preferred against Paul reads: “That you Paul Damilola Olowoparija sometimes in August, 2017 in Ibadan with the jurisdiction of this Honorable court fraudulently impersonated, by representing yourself to be Perry, a white male via your email sent to one Crystal through your email address johnfowobi1122@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22 (2) and punishable under Section 22(b)(iv) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act 2015” .
For Olaleye, the one count reads: “That you Olaleye David Tobi sometime in January 2019 in Ibadan, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be Anita Brown, a white Female via your mail sent to one Mathew Brown through your email address anitaterry@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc)Act, 2015.
Representing the commission to prosecute Olaleye and Olowoparija respectively, Messrs Oyelakin Oyediran and Abdul-Rasheed Lanre Sulaiman, had prayed the court to sentence the defendants in line with the terms and content of the plea bargain they agreed to individually.
